Fast Facts About Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a progressive, irreversible disease which affects the cells of the brain and produces memory loss and intellectual impairment in approximately 4.4 million American adults (1997). This disease affects persons of all different racial, economic and educational backgrounds.

Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common cause of dementia in adults. "Dementia" may be defined as loss of memory and intellect that interferes in routine personal, social or occupational activities. Dementia is not a disease, but rather it is a group of symptoms which may accompany certain diseases or conditions. Other symptoms may include changes in personality, moods or behavior. Although AD primarily affects people over 65, it also may affect people in their 50s and, although rarely, even younger. At this time there is no known cause or cure for AD. The diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease is always termed "probable" until after death since the only confirming diagnostic evidence is in autopsy of the brain.

Other causes of irreversible dementia are: multi-infarct dementia (a series of minor strokes resulting in widespread destruction of brain tissue), Pick’s disease, Binswanger’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease), multiple sclerosis, and alcohol and drug abuse.