Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurological condition and the leading cause of dementia worldwide. It gradually destroys memory, thinking, and eventually the ability to carry out everyday tasks. As populations age, Alzheimer’s diagnoses are rising sharply, making awareness and early action increasingly important.
Key points
- Sticky protein clumps accumulate in the brain, interfering with signalling between nerve cells until they eventually die off.
- Age is the single biggest risk factor, with the odds roughly doubling every half-decade after 65.
- One class of medicine preserves a chemical messenger needed for memory in earlier stages, while a different agent is often added later.
- A rapid decline over days instead of months may instead suggest a different, treatable underlying problem.
How the disease progresses
In the early stage, the most noticeable change is short-term memory loss, forgetting recent conversations, misplacing objects, or struggling to recall new names. As the disease advances, confusion deepens, language becomes harder, and familiar tasks like cooking or managing finances grow difficult. In later stages, full-time care is usually needed.
The underlying cause is an abnormal build-up of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain, which disrupt communication between nerve cells and cause them to die over time. Age is the biggest risk factor, with risk roughly doubling every five years after 65.
Medicines used in Alzheimer’s care
No treatment reverses Alzheimer’s, but several medicines slow symptom progression and improve quality of life. The cholinesterase inhibitors, donepezil and galantamine, work by preserving acetylcholine, a chemical messenger essential for memory and learning. They are typically used across mild to moderate stages. Memantine works differently, regulating glutamate activity to reduce further nerve cell damage, and is often added in moderate to severe stages. These medicines are part of a wider neurology approach that includes cognitive support and carer education.
If someone develops sudden confusion, significant personality changes, or loss of basic functions over days rather than months, seek medical assessment promptly, rapid decline can point to a different, sometimes treatable cause.