Introduction: According to the data of the "Chinese Expert Consensus on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease-Derived Mild Cognitive Impairment 2021", there are about 15.07 million dementia patients in the mainland population over 60 years old, including about 9.83 million Alzheimer's disease patients, which is a shocking figure, because it means that 1 in 10 elderly people has dementia, and most of them are Alzheimer's patients.
However, although the disease is not far away, there are still many people who may not know what Alzheimer's is and what the symptoms will appear when you have it.
Alzheimer's disease is a neurological disease, which is mainly manifested as a series of cognitive impairments such as memory loss, cognitive decline, language ability, judgment loss, comprehension ability, and orientation loss.
These symptoms can affect the daily life of the elderly, such as forgetting important things, unable to understand and express language, unable to understand and judge situations, etc., and as the condition worsens, the elderly may become more confused and even do not recognize their family and friends.
After having Alzheimer's disease, the quality of life of the elderly will be seriously affected, they may not be able to live independently, and need to rely on others to take care of them, which not only brings pain to the elderly themselves, but also brings a huge burden to the family and society, so early detection and treatment of Alzheimer's disease is very important.
01
What is Alzheimer's disease?
Alzheimer's disease, also known as Alzheimer's disease (AD), is a neurological disorder that typically affects older people aged 65 years and older, but can also occur in younger people.
The cause of Alzheimer's disease is not fully understood, but studies have found that a variety of factors such as genetics, environmental factors, and lifestyle may increase the probability of developing the disease.
For example, people with a family history of Alzheimer's disease are more likely to develop the disease; long-term exposure to harmful substances such as heavy metals, chemicals or pollutants may also increase the likelihood of developing the disease; and unhealthy lifestyles such as lack of exercise and poor dietary Xi may also increase the likelihood of developing the disease.
02
If you have Alzheimer's disease, how will your body behave?
Memory loss
People with Alzheimer's often forget what just happened, such as forgetting that they have just eaten, or forgetting people they have just met.
Impaired judgment
The patient's judgment of things is impaired, and he is unable to judge whether things are true or false, good or bad, right or wrong.
Weakened language skills
People with dementia often have language difficulties, such as speech fluency, slurred expression, and inability to understand other people's language.
Weakened comprehension
The patient's ability to comprehend new information or situations decreases, and they are unable to understand and process complex situations or problems.
Decreased orientation
People have decreased orientation about time and place, such as not knowing what day or month it is, or where they are.
Affective disorders
Alzheimer's patients often have affective disorders, such as emotional instability, irritability, depression, anxiety, etc.
From a medical point of view, the specific formation mechanism of Alzheimer's disease is still in a state that is not yet clear, and there is no special form of treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
And there is no special form of treatment for Alzheimer's disease, but according to existing medical evidence, the following two bad Xi are likely to increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease, and it is recommended that everyone must avoid them.
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The "bane" of Alzheimer's disease has been found, doctor: If you have these 2 Xi, I advise you to change it as soon as possible
Lack of weight control
Weight loss can slow cognitive decline during aging and reduce the risk of dementia, a study conducted by an international team of researchers and published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, has shown that weight loss can slow cognitive decline during aging and reduce the risk of dementia.
The research team analyzed 1,300 participants in the database, divided into four groups: Alzheimer's patients, healthy controls, obese and non-obese people, and they matched and compared all groups with Alzheimer's patients and found that obesity may increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Obesity may induce diseases such as insulin resistance, and adipose tissue will produce tumor necrosis factor, interleukins and other inflammatory factors, which affect each other, cause inflammation in the body, and increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease, so maintaining a healthy weight is very important to prevent Alzheimer's disease.
Sleeping for too long
A large study conducted by researchers at the University of California showed that long and frequent daytime naps may increase the risk of dementia in adults with an average age of 81.
The researchers further pointed out that proper napping is good for the body, but if it is too long, it may cause the blood flow to the brain to slow down, which can lead to insufficient blood supply and oxygen supply to the brain, which in turn can cause damage to the brain.
In addition, excessive napping can also lead to excessive accumulation of TAU protein in the brain, a protein associated with Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. Excess TAU protein can interfere with the normal function of the brain, affecting the areas of the brain that regulate wakefulness and sleep, and increasing the patient's napping time during the day.
This association between the timing and frequency of napping and the risk of dementia may create a vicious circle, with excessive napping causing TAU protein to accumulate in the brain, further affecting blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain, aggravating damage to the brain.
The damaged brain may lead to more frequent and longer naps, further exacerbating the accumulation of TAU protein and brain damage.
Therefore, researchers recommend that nap time be controlled within a reasonable range to avoid adverse effects on the brain, and for most people, nap time should be controlled within 1 hour a day, which can help maintain a healthy state of the brain and reduce the risk of dementia.
Perhaps many people have some curiosity in their hearts, if they have suffered from Alzheimer's disease, what stage will the body go through?
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Alzheimer's disease will go through 7 stages, the first stage is traceless, and the third stage is the golden time of treatment
Alzheimer's disease is a chronic disease that progresses gradually. Patients go through a series of stages, each with its own specific symptoms and manifestations, the following are the seven stages of Alzheimer's:
Stage 1: No trace
At this stage, patients may only show mild memory loss, such as forgetting what they have just done or what they have said, which is usually considered a normal part of aging, but may actually be an early symptom of Alzheimer's disease.
Stage 2: Mild forgetfulness
At this stage, patients begin to experience more pronounced memory loss and may not be able to remember important dates, events, or people, and they may need more time to think and recall information but still be able to go about their daily lives normally.
Stage 3: Golden Time of Treatment
At this stage, patients begin to experience more severe cognitive impairments, including loss of memory, concentration, and comprehension, but despite this, they can still carry out their daily lives independently, and this stage is the best time for treatment, so it is important to seek medical attention and diagnosis in a timely manner.
Stage 4: Need for assistance
At this stage, patients may need more help with daily tasks, they may start to experience problems such as speech impairment, impaired judgment, and decreased problem-solving skills, and they may need more support and care to maintain an independent life.
Stage 5: More severe cognitive impairment
At this stage, patients exhibit more severe cognitive impairment, including complete loss of memory, comprehension, and judgment, they may not be able to understand and express their emotions and needs, and need to be completely dependent on the care and support of others.
Stage 6: Severe cognitive impairment
At this stage, the patient's cognitive impairment worsens, they may not be able to understand and express their emotions and needs, and they may need round-the-clock care and support to maintain their basic life needs.
Stage 7: Advanced dementia
At this stage, patients exhibit extreme cognitive impairment and physical weakness, they may not be able to recognize or understand the people and environment around them, and need to be completely dependent on the care and support of others, patients at this stage usually need professional medical and nursing support to stay alive.
05
Different blood types, different rates of brain aging, which blood type is susceptible to Alzheimer's?
Blood type refers to the type of antigen on the surface of blood components, and there are four common blood types: type A, type B, type AB and type O, and different blood types have a certain impact on the health status of the body.
In the study, scientists performed brain imaging exams on people of different ages and recorded their blood type information.
The results showed that people with blood types A, B, and AB aged their brains faster than people with blood type O, which means that people with blood types A, B, and AB were more likely to develop diseases such as Alzheimer's.
So, why is this happening?
Scientists believe that this may be related to the level of inflammation in people with different blood types, inflammation is the body's response to injury and infection, but it can also lead to tissue damage and disease, and people with blood types A, B, and AB have higher levels of inflammation in the body, which can lead to accelerated brain aging.
06
People who develop these 3 Xi habits, even if they are old, are not easy to get Alzheimer's
Stay social
Staying connected with family, friends, and the community promotes brain stimulation and communication, helping to maintain cognitive function.
Stay physically active
Moderate physical activity can improve heart and lung fitness, strengthen muscles and bones, and also help keep the brain healthy.
Eat a balanced diet
The diet is rich in nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help protect the brain from free radical damage.
07
Read more: Is brain atrophy Alzheimer's disease?
Brain atrophy and Alzheimer's disease are two different concepts, but there is a certain connection between them.
Cerebral atrophy refers to the atrophy of brain tissue, which can be caused by a variety of reasons, such as age, disease, genetics, etc., as we age, the brain will gradually shrink, which is a normal physiological phenomenon.
However, if the atrophy exceeds the normal range, it may cause symptoms such as cognitive impairment, memory impairment, and language impairment.
Alzheimer's disease is a specific cognitive impairment, mainly manifested by memory loss, confusion, language expression and other symptoms, Alzheimer's disease has many causes, one of which is brain atrophy, however, brain atrophy does not necessarily mean that you have Alzheimer's disease.