02/16/2015 01:17 PM EST
Related MedlinePlus Pages: Alzheimer's Caregivers, Alzheimer's Disease
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of HealthAlzheimer's Disease
Also called: AD
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia among older people. Dementia is a brain disorder that seriously affects a person's ability to carry out daily activities.
AD begins slowly. It first involves the parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language. People with AD may have trouble remembering things that happened recently or names of people they know. A related problem, mild cognitive impairment(MCI), causes more memory problems than normal for people of the same age. Many, but not all, people with MCI will develop AD.
In AD, over time, symptoms get worse. People may not recognize family members or have trouble speaking, reading or writing. They may forget how to brush their teeth or comb their hair. Later on, they may become anxious or aggressive, or wander away from home. Eventually, they need total care. This can cause great stress for family members who must care for them.
AD usually begins after age 60. The risk goes up as you get older. Your risk is also higher if a family member has had the disease.
No treatment can stop the disease. However, some drugs may help keep symptoms from getting worse for a limited time.
NIH: National Institute on Aging
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Alzheimer's Disease is the National Institute on Aging
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NIH MedlinePlus Magazine
- 7 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's
- Alzheimer's Disease: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment
- Alzheimer's Treatment
- Diagnosing Dementia--Positive Signs
- Living with Alzheimer's Disease
- Memory and Forgetfulness: NIH Research
- New NIA Booklet By and For People With Early-Stage Alzheimer's Disease
- Quiz: Alzheimer's Disease
- Understanding Alzheimer's
- What Are the Signs of Alzheimer's Disease?
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Start Here
- About Alzheimer's Disease: Alzheimer's Basics
- Alzheimer's Disease
(National Institute on Aging)
- Understanding Alzheimer's Disease
- Also available in Spanish
- About Alzheimer's Disease: Alzheimer's Basics
Overviews
- Alzheimer's Disease(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Alzheimer's Disease: Unraveling the Mystery
- Also available in Spanish
- alzheimers.gov(Department of Health and Human Services)
- Also available in Spanish
Latest News
- Leaks in Brain May Contribute to Dementia(01/21/2015, HealthDay)
- Depression and Alzheimer's Disease
(01/15/2015, HealthDay)
- Depression, Anxiety Can Precede Memory Loss in Alzheimer's, Study Finds(01/14/2015, HealthDay)
- Petty 'Crimes' Sometimes Tied to Dementia(01/08/2015, HealthDay)
Diagnosis/Symptoms
- 10 Early Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer's(Alzheimer's Association)
- About Alzheimer's Disease: Diagnosis
- About Alzheimer's Disease: Symptoms
- ApoE (Apolipoprotein E) Genotyping(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Diagnostic Guidelines for Alzheimer's Disease -- Frequently Asked Questions for the General Public
Treatment
- About Alzheimer's Disease: Treatment
- Alzheimer's Disease Medications
- Treatments for Alzheimer's Disease(Alzheimer's Association)
- Treatments for Sleep Changes(Alzheimer's Association)
- Return to top
- About Alzheimer's Disease: Treatment
Prevention/Screening
- About Alzheimer's Disease: Risk Factors and Prevention
- Brain Health(Alzheimer's Association)
- Preventing Alzheimer's Disease: What Do We Know?
- Return to top
- About Alzheimer's Disease: Risk Factors and Prevention
Alternative Therapy
- Alternative Treatments(Alzheimer's Association)
- Alzheimer's Disease at a Glance
- How Can Music Help People Who Have Alzheimer's Disease?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Time to Talk: 5 Things to Know about Complementary Health Practices for Cognitive Function, Dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease
- Return to top
Nutrition
- Alzheimer's: Making Mealtimes Easier(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Healthy Eating
- Return to top
Coping
- Daily Care(Alzheimer's Association)
- Helping Friends and Family(Alzheimer's Association)
- Making Choices about Everyday Care (for Families)(Family Caregiver Alliance)
- MedlinePlus: Alzheimer's Caregivers
- Also available in Spanish
- Taking Care of Yourself(Alzheimer's Association)
- Tips for Daily Life(Alzheimer's Association)
- Return to top
Disease Management
- Alzheimer's: 7 Tips for Medical Visits(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Diet, Exercise and Health(Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation)
- Stages and Behaviors(Alzheimer's Association)
- Also available in Spanish
- Sundowning: Late-Day Confusion(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- What Happens Next?
- Return to top
Specific Conditions
- Early-Onset Alzheimer's(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
- Early-Onset Alzheimer's: When Symptoms Begin Before 65(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Rapidly Progressing Alzheimer's: Something Else?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Seven Stages of Alzheimer's(Alzheimer's Association)
- Return to top
Related Issues
- About Alzheimer's Disease: Causes
- African-Americans and Alzheimer's(Alzheimer's Association)
- Alzheimer's Disease and Down Syndrome(National Down Syndrome Society)
- Also available in Spanish
- Alzheimer's Myths(Alzheimer's Association)
- Alzheimer's or Depression: Could It Be Both?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Alzheimer's: When to Stop Driving(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Dementia: Depression and Alzheimer's Disease(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
- Diabetes and Alzheimer's Linked(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Elder Care for Alzheimer's: Choosing a Provider(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Home Modification(Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation)
- Tau/Amyloid Beta 42 Peptide Test (Alzheimer Biomarkers)(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Understanding Memory Loss
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
- About Alzheimer's Disease: Causes
Tutorials
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Inside the Brain: An Interactive Tour(Alzheimer's Association)
- Also available in Spanish
- What Is Alzheimer Disease?(Dolan DNA Learning Center)
- Return to top
- Alzheimer's Disease
Videos
- Alzheimer's disease - Encyclopedia
- Also available in Spanish
- Alzheimer's Project(Alzheimer's Association)
- Inside the Brain: Unraveling the Mystery of Alzheimer's Disease
- Return to top
Anatomy/Physiology
- Alzheimer's Disease: Unraveling the Mystery
- Also available in Spanish
- Inside the Brain: An Interactive Tour(Alzheimer's Association)
- Also available in Spanish
- Life and Death of a Neuron
- Scientific Images
- Return to top
- Alzheimer's Disease: Unraveling the Mystery
Financial Issues
- Legal and Financial Planning for People with Alzheimer's Disease
- Medicare(Alzheimer's Association)
- Return to top
- Legal and Financial Planning for People with Alzheimer's Disease
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Alzheimer Disease
- Alzheimer's Association TrialMatch(Alzheimer's Association)
- Find Alzheimer's Disease and Related Clinical Trials
- Participating in Alzheimer's Research: For Yourself and Future Generations
- Return to top
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Alzheimer Disease
Genetics
- Alzheimer's Disease Genetics
- Alzheimer's Genes: Are You at Risk?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Genetics Home Reference: Alzheimer disease
- Return to top
- Alzheimer's Disease Genetics
Research
- 2013-2014 Alzheimer's Disease Progress Report
- Alzheimer's and Dementia Testing for Earlier Diagnosis(Alzheimer's Association)
- B Vitamins Fail to Prevent Alzheimer's(Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation)
- Increased Brain Activity May Compensate for Amyloid Pathology in Older Brains
- Monster Mash: Protein Folding Gone Wrong
- New Drug Shows Mixed Results Against Early Alzheimer's(Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation)
- New Genes Tied to Alzheimer's Disease
- NIH-Funded Researchers Link Epigenome Changes to Alzheimer's Disease
- NIH-Supported Clinical Trial Finds Antidepressant Reduces Alzheimer's Agitation
- NIH-Supported Study Shows Promise for Blood Test for Alzheimer's Disease
- Number of Alzheimer's Deaths Found to Be Underreported
- Participating in Alzheimer's Research: Why Placebos Are Important
- Physical Activity and Alzheimer's-Related Hippocampal Atrophy
- Treatment Horizon(Alzheimer's Association)
- Return to top
- 2013-2014 Alzheimer's Disease Progress Report
Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)- Article: Folate and homocysteine metabolisms and their roles in the biochemical...
- Article: Multimodality imaging of Alzheimer disease and other neurodegenerative dementias.
- Article: Potential breakthrough in Alzheimer's diagnosis. A retinal imaging device may...
- Alzheimer's Disease -- see more articles
- Causes of Alzeheimer's disease -- see more articles
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Dictionaries/Glossaries
- Alzheimer's: Glossary(Alzheimer's Association)
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Directories
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers
- Find a Neurologist(American Academy of Neurology)
- Return to top
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers
Organizations
- About the ADEAR Center
- Administration on Aging
- Alzheimer's Association
- Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Also available in Spanish
- National Institute on Aging
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
- About the ADEAR Center
Law and Policy
- End-of-Life Decisions: Honoring the Wishes of the Person with Alzheimer's Disease(Alzheimer's Association) - PDF
- Health Care Reform and Alzheimer's Disease(Alzheimer's Association)
- Return to top
Statistics
- Alzheimer's Facts and Figures(Alzheimer's Association)
- Mortality from Alzheimer's Disease in the United States: Data for 2000 and 2010(National Center for Health Statistics)
- Return to top
Children
- Alzheimer Disease(Nemours Foundation)
- Helping Kids Understand Alzheimer's Disease
- Return to top
Teenagers
- Talking to Kids and Teens(Alzheimer's Association)
- Return to top
Patient Handouts
- Alzheimer's disease
- Also available in Spanish
- Bathing
- Brain PET scan
- Also available in Spanish
- Changes in Communication Skills
- Changes in Intimacy and Sexuality
- Coping with Agitation and Aggression
- Daily Activities
- End-of-Life Care
- Exercise and Physical Activity
- Grooming and Dressing
- Hallucinations, Delusions, and Paranoia
- Healthy Eating
- Helping Family and Friends Understand Alzheimer's Disease
- Helping Kids Understand Alzheimer's Disease
- Incontinence
- Managing Medicines
- Managing Personality and Behavior Changes
- Mental status testing
- Also available in Spanish
- Rummaging and Hiding Things
- Return to top
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