Alzheimer's Disease

• Facts & Figures
• Frequently Asked Questions

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes Alzheimer's disease?

No one single factor has been identified as a cause for Alzheimer's disease. It is likely that a combination of factors, including age, genetic inheritance, environmental factors, diet and overall general health, are responsible.

What are the symptoms?

People with Alzheimer’s experience difficulties communicating, learning, thinking and reasoning — problems severe enough to have an impact on an individual's quality of life. In some people, the disease may develop silently for many years before symptoms appear.

What are plaques and tangles?

Though most people develop some plaques and tangles as they age, those with Alzheimer’s tend to develop far more. The plaques and tangles tend to form in a predictable pattern, beginning in areas important in learning and memory and then spreading to other regions. They somehow block communication among nerve cells and disrupt activities that cells need to survive.

How are early stage and younger onset different?

Individuals in the early-stage typically need minimal assistance with simple daily routines. At the time of diagnosis, an individual is not necessarily in the early stage of the disease; he or she may have progressed beyond the early stage. 

The term younger-onset refers to Alzheimer's that occurs in a person under age 65. People who have younger-onset dementia may be in any stage of dementia – early, middle or late. Experts estimate that some 500,000 people in their 30s, 40s and 50s have Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia.

A special thanks to the Alzheimer’s Association for providing general information about Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. This information does not take the place of professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.