"I seem to have lost myself" – Alzheimer's Disease

In the year of 2006, there are nearly 27 million people who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) globally. The latest Alzheimer’s statistics estimated that 5.3 million people of all ages have AD in the United States. And these numbers are said to be doubled every twenty years. Most AD patients will eventually lose the ability to perform day-to-day tasks and require caregivers which often are people around the patients (e.g. family members, friends). Without a doubt, AD is one of the most influential diseases in this modern world.
AD is a gradual, fatal disease which the scientists believe is caused by the abnormal activity of two proteins called beta amyloid and tau which form Plaques and Neurofibrillary Tangles respectively. Although there appears to be a strong correlation between AD and the ages of the patients, it is not a normal aging process. In the early stage of AD, these plaques and tangles start to build up in the hippocampus and lose their ability to consolidate short-term memory to long-term memory. As AD progresses onto different stages, the plaques and tangles spread and destroy other regions of the brain, the patients eventually loss the abilities to use languages properly, to solve problems, to have logical thoughts, to control emotions, to access stored long-term memory, and in the last stage, it reaches the part of the brain which regulates the breathing and the heart, and ends a person’s life. There is no direct ways to diagnose AD while the patients are still alive, and there is no cure for it. The medicines available to the public can only slow down the progression of AD.
Many researches have been done on AD related subjects, although the god of science has not yet blessed us with a cure for AD, there are promising evidences which show the correlation between type II diabetes and AD. Studies have found that patients who suffer from type II diabetes are four times more likely to suffer from AD when compared to healthy people. Since both diseases are closely related to insulin resistance and insulin resistance could be controlled by diet and exercises, there might be ways to lower the chances of getting AD. There are many other ways that have been suggested to help prevent AD, such as playing cards, reading, and any kinds of brain exercises.
In America, where more than 35% of the total population is obese and almost 10% of the total population suffer from diabetes. I believe it is very important for everyone in the society to be responsible for themselves, and to make good life choices. My grandmother is in her nineties, and unfortunately, she has been diagnosed with AD. She would sometimes forget if she has had lunch or not, and she also suffers from Auditory hallucinations. All we could do is to hire a personal caregiver to be with her all day and take good care of her. So far it hasn’t been much of a trouble, but everyone in the family are all afraid of one day she might not recognize her family anymore. And it has been really hard on us. After all, AD does not only cause functional loss of the patient, but also brings pain to the patient’s family and the caregivers.
 
To learn more about AD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wv9jrk-gXc, http://www.alz.co.uk/research/world-report-2011