Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder named for 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 that Alzheimer's.

Alzheimer's destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social life. Alzheimer's disease always gets worse over time, but how quickly this happens varies. Some people lose the ability to do daily activities early on. Others may still do fairly well until much later in the disease.

What causes Alzheimer's disease?

Alzheimer's disease happens because of changes in the brain. These include lower levels of chemical messengers that help brain cells work properly. What causes these changes is not clear and there is not one single cause, but several factors that affect each person differently. Age is the most important known risk factor. The number of people with the disease doubles every 5 years beyond age 65¹.

October 2007
Sources: Alzheimer's Association, and Healthwise, National Institute on Aging¹

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