Alzheimer’s disease belongs to the group of diseases characterised by a decline in the cognitive functions of the human brain. It is the cause of around two thirds of all cases of dementia. At the age of 65, approximately 10% of the population suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, while in the age group over 85 Alzheimer’s disease is variously manifest in approx. 50% of the population. Alzheimer’s disease is the fourth to fifth most frequent cause of death, while the immediate cause of death usually involves pneumonia or trauma as a consequence of Alzheimer’s. Among the elderly, women are more at risk than men, this risk being 3.1 times greater.
Symptoms
The term dementia denotes a serious psychiatric disorder that manifests as a decline in cognitive functions. Most frequently, the first symptoms include forgetfulness; impaired orientation in space with those affected frequently getting lost in familiar places. There is progressive impairment of intellectual functions and, finally, behavioural disorders appear.
Causes
Clear, proven risk factors for the development of Alzheimer’s include age, familial predisposition and certain genetic mutations. Possible risk factors include brain trauma and low educational level as well as cigarette smoking and the deposition of aluminium and zinc in the organism.
Prevention and treatment
Thus far there, is no treatment or drug for Alzheimer’s. Nonetheless, based on epidemiological and patho-physiological studies, measures that can delay disease onset as much as possible or help avoid the disease altogether may be offered. These measures include fundamental dietary adjustments, dietary supplements, training the brain and certain medication. It may be concluded that radical changes of lifestyle can lead to the postponement of Alzheimer’s disease. The sooner the client learns of his/her predisposition, the sooner a change in lifestyle that can protect him/her from the disease can ensue.
How can GenScan reveal the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease?
In contrast to other psychiatric disorders, Alzheimer’s disease had been studied and researched in great detail and we have much information relating to its causes at our disposal. Thus it was possible to include the test regarding predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease in the GenScan genetic analysis panel. To date, scientists have uncovered two key processes that lead to the development of Alzheimer’s disease – one is the formation of beta-amyloid deposits around neural fibres, and the other is the formation of tau-protein that is deposited inside neurons. In both cases, the underlying mechanism involves protein fibres that are insoluble in water and that lead to neuron death.
Many genes participate in the formation of these protein fibres and in the process of their deposition. GenScan genetic analysis detects the genetic variants of these genes.
In the case of Alzheimer’s disease, a total of 24 gene polymorphisms are analyzed in the GenScan analysis. These play to a great extent an important role in the incidence and development of Alzheimer’s disease.
