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Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain and results in disorientation, with impaired memory, thinking, and judgement. People with Alzheimers also undergo changes in their behavior. This combination of symptoms is also called dementia.

People with Alzheimer’s disease have an atrophy of the cortical tissue within the brain. When examined at autopsy the brain shows abnormal fibers that appear to be tangles of brain tissue filaments and senile plaques. This damage is believed to cause disruption to transmission of impulses amongst brain cells. It is this damage that is thought to produce the symptoms of the disease.

Symptoms

The early stages of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias can be difficult to diagnose because many of the symptoms are initially subtle or common to other illnesses. Symptoms also vary among individuals and between the various diseases that cause dementia.

As people get older, they start to forget little things, like the names of acquaintances and where they put the car keys. This needn’t be a sign of dementia and in a lot of cases it’s just that we are growing old and our brains are no longer at their peak.

It’s important to understand the early signs of Alzheimer’s and to seek a medical diagnosis if several symptoms are noticed. Often, it is a family member or close associate who first notices a change in the behavior or mood of a loved one; these people are instrumental in helping the person to get medical care.

Causes

Scientists do not yet fully understand what causes Alzheimer’s disease. There probably is not one single cause, but several factors that affect each person differently. Age is the most important known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. The number of people with the disease doubles every 5 years beyond age 65. Continue Reading »

Although women are less prone to heart disease as compared with men, it must be known that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women today. The risk is in fact higher for women for certain profile of the population. For example, women smokers are several times more prone to heart disease than male smokers.

Heart diseases are caused by many different factors. For example old age, obesity, smoking, high blood pressure, diabetic and a sedentary lifestyle can cause heart disease to develop. In addition, menopause in women can also causes heart disease.

Understanding the causes of heart disease is the important first step toward prevention of the disease. Prevention of the disease after all is much better than cure. In this regard, people at risk of heart disease should have regular check-ups and also stick to the instructions by their doctors. Continue Reading »

Heart disease is a disorder affecting the ability of the heart to function normally. There are many forms of heart disease of varied etiology.

The most widespread form of heart disease is high cholesterol. In the initial stages of the disease, lesions and cracks will form in the walls of blood vessel walls, usually close to the heart itself. The body will repair the damage by depositing fatty substances such as cholesterol and lipoproteins to fill the cracks.

If the body does not get adequate vitamin C that are vital for keeping the blood vessel walls from cracking, the repeated deposition of fatty substances can clog the blood vessels and thus cause a stroke or heart attack. Continue Reading »