Risk Factors and Clinical Treatments of Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract

Alzheimer Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the most common form of dementia, which is characterized by progressive memory loss and cognitive decline. The pathologic symptoms of AD are amyloid beta (Aβ) accumulation and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) caused by protein tau. Age is the greatest risk factor for AD, and the opportunities of developing AD increase two-fold every 5 years after age 65. AD also has a raising tendency on healthcare costs as the population have longer life span than before. In 2017, about 5.3 million people over the age of 65 in the United States were diagnosed with AD and under the influence of AD caused dementia. Researchers has been predicted that over 100 million patients will suffer from AD by 2050. Consequently, there is an urgent need to improve the investigation and treatment of AD. This paper summaries risk factors of two types of AD, molecular networks and symptoms of AD, and also current and future treatments of AD.