Alzheimer's disease - the facts

What is it?

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is neurodegenerative disease characterised by a progressive decline in memory.

How many people have it?

Over half a million people in the UK have AD. With an ageing population this figure is set to rise over the next 25 years.

What are the costs of AD?

The annual cost of treating and caring for people for AD in the UK is ? billion.

Who gets it?

It is a strongly age related disease. 1% of those aged between 65-70 will have AD compared to 20% among those over 80.

What causes it?

The exact cause of AD is unknown. It is believed that damage to brain cells occur because of a chemical imbalance of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
A final diagnosis can only be made after a post mortem when changes to the structure of the brain can be directly observed.

Do people recover?

AD is a progressive illness, that tends to deteriorate, but it can be slowed if caught in the early stages.

What treatments are available?

Drugs that increase the levels of the brain chemical acetylcholine can slow the progress of AD.

How do the early signs of AD differ from memory loss?

A person who is ordinarily forgetful can still remember details associated with the thing they have forgotten. People with AD forget the entire context. Illnesses such as depression, urinary tract infections and thyroid problems can mimic AD.