Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and the fifth leading cause of death among citizens in Arizona. Although Alzheimer’s is not as common as cancer, it is just as deadly. Though there is no definite cure to Alzheimer’s, there are ways to try and slow the deteriorating disease, and these include clinical trials, extensive research to find a cause, and to create a more stable and understanding environment for people suffering from the disease.
Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease that causes mental deterioration in 3 different stages. In the first stage, the person will begin to develop memory loss but will still be able to function independently. When the second stage sets in, the person’s mental abilities begin to decline along with personality changes, and physical problems begin to take effect, thus meaning that the person being affected by the disease will not be able to completely function by themselves. In the final stage, the person’s personality is completely deteriorated along with their ability to control their body. During this time, the person is not able to function without the help of a caregiver. An article put out by The Alzheimer’s Association stated, “The symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease worsen over time, although the rate at which the disease progresses varies.” (Alzheimer’s Association®, 2019). While each of the stages has its own set of problems, not everyone understands exactly what Alzheimer’s is and how it affects people and their loved ones.
The first cases of Alzheimer’s began affecting people in the early 1900s, and it wasn’t seen as a life-threatening problem till the mid-1900s. The first reported case occurred in 1906 when a woman named Auguste reported that she had been having trouble with memory loss, psychological changes, and paranoia. In the article “History of Alzheimer’s; major milestones,” it stated, “Dr. Alzheimer noted in the autopsy that there was shrinkage in and around nerve cells in her brain.” (Sauer, 2013) After Auguste’s death, Dr. Alzheimer sent a sample of her brain matter to a lab, and they found two things that are now linked to the disease called amyloid plaques and `neurofibrillary tangles. (Sauer, 2013)
In a healthy brain, these two things would get broken down, but with Alzheimer’s, they continuously form and harden, which causes them to not be able to be broken down. This has helped scientists link some of the potential causes of the disease. Statistics show that a person develops Alzheimer’s every 68 seconds, and it was also stated that in about half a century, it could be developing as fast as 33 seconds. Alzheimer’s is a rapidly growing disease that is beginning to affect more and more people’s lives, and there need to be more steps taken to find a cure for this disease. A study done by the Alzheimer’s staff shows that “BETWEEN 2000 AND 2015 DEATHS FROM HEART DISEASE HAVE DECREASED 11% WHILE DEATHS FROM ALZHEIMER’S HAVE INCREASED 123%.” (Alzheimer’s staff, 2016). Death will continue to sprout from this disease if there is no cure found. Though there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, only treatments to slow it down but in reality, scientists should be working to find permanent cures, not temporary ones.
The solutions I’m proposing are using a combination of the medicine used now and using electromagnetic therapy, which has been tested on mice, to see the outcomes and if it is applicable to use on humans as well as doing more extensive research such as brain mapping to figure out what’s causing all of the amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles to harden over time. The study has been started as a clinical trial, but if they take the data they have gathered and done a combination of both medicine and electromagnetic waves to eliminate it altogether when doing the trial, center our focus on why the tangles and plaques are not being broken down and to understand what’s causing the cells to not break them up.
In the trial, it stated, “On the other hand, a new study about the brain and the electromagnetic fields (EMFs) showed, in vivo, that the EMFs could protect from the cognitive impairment or improve the memory.” (S. Kogan, Q. Zeng, N. Ash, and R. A. Greenes, 2001, pg 329) Although it’s only been shown in mice, according to this article, they have started human trials; therefore, it shows that the treatment could be just as effective in mice as in humans. There are many ‘solutions’ that can be put out there, but using the right precautions could lead to the root of the disease.
People with Alzheimer’s need a more stable environment because, most of the time, family members are the ones who step in to care for the loved one but often become resentful due to the fact that they can’t do simple tasks for themselves and it becomes time-consuming. It is a disease that isn’t as spoken about, and people should be aware and informed so we could have a program set up not only like a support group but to help figure out how to care for them. When people have an outlet for their emotions, it makes it easier to care for the person, especially if they also know how to care for them. Then it could make things easier because the caretaker is more informed on what they need.
In an article put out by the Mayo Clinic, it stated, “Over time, a person living with dementia will become more dependent. But there’s a lot you can do to maximize the quality of your interactions and reduce frustration. Try to stay flexible and adapt your routine and expectations as needed.” (Mayo Staff, 2016) In order to properly care for them, you need to figure out what works best for that person because they are going through just as much or even more change than we can comprehend, and it needs to fit their needs. Also, the article states, “Educating yourself about dementia and maintaining a positive but realistic attitude allows you to maintain an element of control as a caregiver.” (alzheimers.net, 2017) Educating yourself on the topic is probably the best decision for not only you but your loved one.
Extensive brain mapping could help find the root of the problem so we can expose the cause and find the best way to prevent the diseased tissue from building up. Usually, the build-up of the amyloid plaques is destroyed by the healthy nerves, but in this case, it builds up and hardens, but nobody knows the cause and why the nerves cannot fight it off. With technology advancing, it says, “Clinicians are hoping the scans will allow them to diagnose patients earlier. And pharmaceutical companies are aiming to develop better drugs and conduct shorter and smaller clinical trials.” (S. Kogan, Q. Zeng, N. Ash, and R. A. Greenes, 2001, pg 329)
Diagnosing the patients earlier will help them get to the root of the problem, making it easier to track the decline in the brain. In one of the trials, it was written that “The MRI scans show that the death of brain cells precedes Alzheimer’s symptoms by five or six years. The goal of newer imaging methods is to detect these changes even earlier and more precisely track disease progression.” (S. Kogan, Q. Zeng, N. Ash, and R. A. Greenes, 2001, pg 329) The progression of the disease can vary based on the person, but in the article, it said people can have the disease but not be diagnosed for years because sometimes symptoms take a while to present.
More clinical trials and stronger medication could also help to cure one of the many things that rip families apart. Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease because it takes away everything from the person, and they become so dependent on one another to take care of their every need. So with more options for people to try, it could help find a cure and get the word out. In the article from the Alzheimer’s Association, it says, “Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. However, there are medications that can help control or delay its symptoms for some time.” (Alzheimer’s Association®, 2019) If both were combined, it could end up helping track the progress to figure out what works and what doesn’t. Multiple sources have confirmed that “1 IN 3 SENIORS DIE WITH ALZHEIMER’S OR ANOTHER DEMENTIA. IT KILLS MORE THAN BREAST CANCER AND PROSTATE CANCER COMBINED.” (Alzheimer’s Association®, 2019) Although it isn’t as widely known as something like cancer, it is on the rise, and more and more people are having to go through it or watch someone suffer through it.
There is truly no real cure for Alzheimer’s. No matter all the medicines that are created to help, it is only a temporary fix to a permanent problem. Alzheimer’s has been a problem since the first case was reported in the early 1900s, and over all that time, only temporary fixes have been put into place. Even with technology advancing, we still have no cure for so many problems. Multiple clinical trials have been put into place in order to try and find a fix for this infectious disease, and one that started testing on mice has shown improved brain function, but although the medicine is not a permanent fix, it has shown how it has greatly slowed down the deterioration. With technology becoming more advanced, this is the chance for us to take advantage and use everything in order to find a cure.
Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease that is on the rise affecting so many people’s lives, but using the right methods, there could potentially be an end. Although Alzheimer’s is very complex and hasn’t been solved yet, using proper precautions can lead us to the discovery of a cure. There are some known causes of Alzheimer’s, and if everyone took the time to educate themselves, then it could prevent any future diseases or complications.
