Top Health Concern Today : Alzheimer's One disease that is beginning to affect more and more people as they grow older is Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's is basically characterized by the disintegration and degeneration on one's brain, which leads to lack of memory and more difficulty with attempting to complete cognitive tasks. There have been many who have had to deal with their parents being affected by Alzheimer's and it is difficult for the patient and their family. Alzheimer's disease is quite scary to many people, for most do not want to think about losing their ability to think or reason intelligently. As of now, there is still no cure for Alzheimer's. However, scientists and medical professionals are working on finding a cure./p>

Alzheimer's is a disease that primarily affects those that are older, but it seems to strike both males and females alike. Although both genders can be affected by this disease of the brain, it appears that women do have a slightly higher chance of developing Alzheimer's disease. It has been found that many times women are more likely to display the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, such as dementia, due to differences within their brain./p>

For those that are taking care of elderly family members, if you feel that perhaps they may be showing various signs or symptoms of Alzheimer's, you will need to take them to a doctor as soon as possible. It is important that you find a doctor that has experience with both diagnosing and treating Alzheimer's disease. This is so important because there is no one test that can specifically diagnose Alzheimer's disease; however, there are many tests that can help a doctor make a final diagnosis of the disease. Often doctors will use tests like the "mini-cog," which tests mental and psychological abilities of patients, or they use the MMSE (mini mental state exam), which can help doctors find out the mental state that the patient is in and the extent of their mental function.

While no actual causes have been totally documented, there are a variety of different things that can attribute to a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease. Age, of course, is the highest risk factor, with the risk of the disease drastically increasing after the age of 65. Family history is another risk factor that can increase risk. Many times the disease seems to run in families, and there are some scientists that believe that there are definite genetic ties to Alzheimer's disease. Those who are unhealthy, have suffered from head injuries, and those that have had heart problems also seem to have a great risk for developing this disease when they are older.

There is no known cure for Alzheimer's disease, but there are a variety of things that people can do to help lower their risk of getting the disease. Staying active as you grow older can definitely lower your risk of the disease because exercise releases various chemicals within the brain that can prevent the development of the disease. Using your mind is also important to lowering your risk for Alzheimer's. Reading, learning new languages, or playing word games are great ways to keep your brain healthy as well. Taking both Vitamin C and Vitamin A has been shown to lower the risk of the disease in recent studies. Understanding Alzheimer's disease can help you learn more and can also educate you on ways that you can lower your risk.