Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, a type of disorder which is marked by the gradual decline of various important brain functions like memory retention and problem solving. Accounting for nearly 60 to 80 percent of all the cases of dementia, Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the degeneration of the brain cells and tissues. The condition is progressive in nature which means that the patient's condition tends to aggravate as time passes by. During the early stages the patient is likely to experience symptoms like slight memory loss, mood swings and inability to carry out day to day tasks efficiently. During the later stage, the patient is likely to experience much severe symptoms such as lack of awareness, inability to move and complete loss of memory. Experts from the best Neurology hospital in Mumbai suggest that there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, however there are several modalities available for improving the quality of the patient's life. These include medication and therapies.

Understanding the underlying cause of Alzheimer's disease:

As per the experts from the best brain hospital in Mumbai, Alzheimer's disease is a result of complex nerve cell mutations that damage the neurons and cause them to die. It has been found that people with Alzheimer's disease have been found to. Have higher deposits of amyloid plaque and neurofibrillary tangles. The former is known to trigger damage to the brain cells, whereas the latter interferes with the recycling and creation of new proteins, leading to their depletion.

There are several factors that can put you at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. We have listed some of these in this blog with the help of the experts from the best neurology hospital in India.

Advanced age - It has been found that Alzheimer's disease is more common in elderlies as compared to younger people. One of the reasons behind this could be that

amyloid plaque and neurofibrillary tangles, which have been associated with Alzheimer's disease, are quite common in elderlies. Age related degeneration of the cells is also an important factor that should not be overlooked.

Oxidative stress - We our cells generate energy, they produce free radicals, i.e. tiny molecules that contain oxygen, which can accumulate and induce damage to the cell membrane and proteins. This further leads to tissue damage. These free radicals can be easily neutralized with the help of the antioxidants which are usually derived from various foods. However, sometimes, the balance between the two can be disturbed, with lesser antioxidants. This leads to oxidative damage.

Beta-amyloid - When we are young, our brain clears beta amyloid, a type of protein, on its own; however as we grow old the process slows down, leading to the accumulation of the same. The brain of a 30 year old person is likely to get rid of half of the beta-amyloid within a span of 4 hours, whereas, that of a 80 year old may need 10 hours for clearing out the same.

Cardiovascular diseases - Surprisingly, many studies have pointed towards the possible link between cardiovascular diseases and Alzheimer's disease. The brain has a complex network of blood vessels and takes nearly one fifth of the total oxygen supply of the body. Patients suffering from a cardiovascular disease may experience a decreased flow of blood to the brain resulting in cerebral hypoperfusion. This has been found to support the development of amyloid plaque as well as slow down the brain's ability to clear the same.

Down syndrome - The brain of a person with down syndrome, who is already in his/her 40s, is likely to exhibit the pattern of plaques and tangles, which are commonly seen in patients with Alzheimer's disease. It is pertinent to note that people with down syndrome have an increased susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease, however not every person with down syndrome is likely to have the condition.

To know more about Alzheimer's disease, you can consult an expert from Jupiter Hospital.