Alzheimer’s Disease (AD): Risks, Treatments, Prevention, and Future Implementations

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia found among geriatric populations worldwide and is growing quickly in low- and middle-income countries. Alzheimer’s disease affects approximately 36.6 mil-lion people, and that number is expected to double over the next two decades. Those most susceptible to Alzheimer’s are over the age of 60, though other associated factors such as sex, poor nutrition, education, impaired functional status, body mass index, diabetes, depression, smoking, alcohol, fish intake, and pesticide exposure have been reported, though none are clear. Gaining a better understanding of the etiology of AD requires multiple-site-targeted therapy to control the disease at the initial level. On the other hand, evidence suggests that risk factors for AD are modifiable. Hence reduction in associated risk factors may require very long follow-ups to make people aware of their effect on AD incidence. If these factors are effective in preventing the progression of AD, the target populations could be affected at the early stages of AD or even patients with more advanced disease.