Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory y the ability to think and, over time, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks, according to the National Institute on Aging that is part of the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH for its acronym in English).
Thus, people with Alzheimer’s disease may exhibit the following behaviors:
- Repeat statements and questions over and over once more.
- Forgetting conversations, appointments, or events, and not remembering them later.
- Systematically placing personal items in the wrong place, often in absurd places.
- Get lost in places you already know.
- Forget the names of relatives and everyday objects.
- Have trouble identifying objects with the correct words, expressing thoughts, or participating in conversations.
In addition, Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit organization dedicated to clinical practice, education and research, explained that risk factors include:
- Age: Advanced age is the risk factor that most affects Alzheimer’s disease.
- Family history and genetics: The risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease is slightly higher if a first-degree relative (parent or sibling) has the disease.
- Down Syndrome: Many people with Down syndrome develop Alzheimer’s disease. This is probably related to having three copies of chromosome 21 and subsequently three copies of the gene for the protein that leads to the creation of beta-amyloid.
- Sex: There appears to be little difference in risk between men and women, but in general more women get the disease as they tend to live longer than men.
- Mild cognitive impairment: Mild cognitive impairment is a stage that affects memory or other thinking skills to a greater extent than normal for a person’s age, but does not prevent the sufferer from functioning in social or work settings.
- Head trauma: People who have suffered a severe head injury are at increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
- Air pollution: According to animal studies, air pollution particles can accelerate the degeneration of the nervous system. And, according to human studies, exposure to air pollution, particularly from traffic exhaust fumes and wood burning, is associated with an increased risk of dementia.
- Excessive alcohol consumption: It has long been known that drinking large amounts of alcohol causes changes in the brain.
- Poor sleep patterns: Research shows that poor sleep patterns, such as difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, are associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Likewise, research from the University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington (USA) that was published in the journal Neurology and quoted by the magazine Very interesting, revealed that “People who have type AB blood they are 82% more likely to develop memory loss problems that can lead to dementia.”
“Our study focuses on blood type and the risk of cognitive decline. Blood type is also related to other vascular conditions, such as stroke, so the results highlight the connections between vascular issues and brain health,” says study leader Mary Cushman, according to the journal.
In any case, the information given above in no way replaces medical advice and therefore the first thing to do is consult a health expert so that he or she can guide the process and indicate what is most appropriate for each person. .
