Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder named after
German physician Alois Alzheimer who first described it in 1906. Scientists have learned a great
deal about Alzheimer’s disease in the century since Dr. Alzheimer first drew attention to it. Today we know the following
facts about Alzheimer’s disease :
It is a progressive and fatal brain disease. As many as 5.3 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer's destroys
brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social
life. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time, and it is fatal. Today it is the seventh-leading cause of death in the
United States.
It is the most common form of dementia,
a general term for the loss of memory and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s
disease accounts for 50 to 70 percent of dementia cases. Other types of dementia include vascular dementia, mixed dementia,
dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia
It has no current cure. But treatment for symptoms combined with the right services and support, can make life better
for the millions of Americans living with Alzheimer’s. There is an accelerating worldwide effort under way to find
better ways to treat the disease, delay its onset, or prevent it from developing.
At Empire Neurology, we provide services to patients with Alzheimer's. We are also involved in research and clinical
trials.
