The Rates Of Alzheimer’s Disease in the World

ABSTRACT

Alzheimer’s Disease has been around for over 100 years and has no cure. It is a neurogenerative disease that leads to dementia in patients, where the episodic memory is impaired, along with a decline in cognitive skills. A report in the 2019 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures consisted a graph and table which indicated the number of annual Alzheimer’s Disease death rates in the United States per 100,000 people by age and year. The death rates increased as the age and years increased. The purpose of this research paper was to answer the question of why there was a change in rates over the years. It was hypothesized that people who had Alzheimer’s Disease also had other health problems arising from old age such as strokes, which is assumed to play a role in the increase in death rates over the years. The results of this research showed that with age, the chances of acquiring other health problems increased as well. The results also showed that Alzheimer’s Disease and strokes had similar effects in the brain, which indicated a correlation between the two but not necessarily the primary reason for the increase in rates.

INTRODUCTION

Alzheimer’s Disease was first discovered in 1906 by German psychiatrist and neuroanatomist, Alois Alzheimer (Ryan et al. 2015). It is a neurogenerative disease which causes dementia in patients. This disease impairs the episodic memory, along with other cognitive skills, and specific neuropathological changes that usually include neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques which are often supplemented by synaptic loss and deposits (Bouwman et al. 2010). It is one of the leading causes of death and is usually diagnosed in people over sixty-five years but can also be diagnosed earlier on in life. The help of medication can prolong a person’s life to four to eight years and at times, twenty years and more. The number of people who are impacted by Alzheimer’s Disease is rapidly increasing. In the United States, more than five million people are affected by this disease and this number is expected to triple by 2050 (Mielke et al. 2014). With age, symptoms worsen and the chances of developing further health problems increases as well.

Alzheimer’s Disease and stroke are known to increase at equivalent rates with age. A stroke is a brain injury caused by a sudden disruption in blood supply to the brain (Gund et al. 2013). Symptoms of stroke include the speech impairment, movement and memory problems and at times, death. Stroke is the third common cause of death in the United States. One in every ten deaths is caused by a stroke (Gund et al. 2013). In the year 2013, it was estimated that over 160,00 elderly Americans died of a stroke yearly in the United States (Gund et al. 2013). A stroke is typically seen in adults over the age of sixty-five and usually doubles after the age of fifty-five. Cerebral ischemia, a type of stroke, is common in elderly patients with Alzheimer’s Disease which drastically increases the rate of cognitive decline. 30% of patients with Alzheimer’s Disease contain evidence of blockage of arteries in autopsies, which may be the result of ischemic strokes (Kalaria 2000). Obstructions of blood supply, lesions, and white-matter can be seen on magnetic resonance imaging scans in patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and with patients who suffered from a stroke. Cerebral plaques can also be found in these images

(Qui et al. 2009). These are indications that both are correlated to one another. Each may be the cause of one another but there is not enough research to prove that stroke is the cause of increase in death rates with patients suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease.

The number of deaths of people with this disease has significantly increased over the last nine years. It is often assumed that with the advancement of technology and the discovery of new medicine, the number of diseases can be controlled and at times eradicated but on the contrary, the death rates have considerably increased. There must be a credible reason for the increase in this rate. This sparked an interest in this research to understand what the issue was. The purpose of this research paper is to answer the question of why there was a change in rates over the years. People who have Alzheimer’s Disease also have other health problems arising from old age such as strokes. Hence, it can be hypothesized that strokes play a role in the increase of death rates over the years. The importance of this research is to understand why there was an increase in the rates, especially for the people over sixty-five. There is insufficient evidence to prove that the increase in death rates of people with Alzheimer’s Disease is caused by strokes but there is enough evidence to conclude that Alzheimer’s Disease is interrelated with stroke. With more studies done it can be helpful to find reliable answers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The data was obtained through the Google search engine by searching “2019 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Data.” The first link opened the Alzheimer’s Association website where a report on the 2019 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures could be downloaded. Multiple studies done on Alzheimer’s Disease were combined and summarized in this report. The report consisted of a section titled “Mortality and Morbidity.” This section contained a graph and table which indicated the number of annual Alzheimer’s Disease deaths in the United States per 100,000 people by age and year. The death rate increased as the age and years increased. The death rate for middle-aged people progressed slowly but there was a significant increase in the rate for people age seventy-five and older.

A graph consisted of the death rates for different age groups of people through the years 2000-2017 will be observed. This data will be analyzed through the search for other reasons that impacted the increase in the death rates of people who have Alzheimer’s disease throughout the years. This study would specifically focus on the correlation between heart problems, such as stroke, and Alzheimer’s Disease. The data found on individuals who have strokes and the percentage of those individuals who also have Alzheimer’s disease will be reviewed and then determined whether there is a correlation between the two.

RESULTS

Data was collected from studies of people who had Alzheimer’s Disease and as a result died from it. Additionally, data was also collected from people who suffered from strokes. The results of this research showed there was an association between Alzheimer’s Disease and strokes. However, the findings of the studies did not state that the reason the rates had changed over the years was primarily because of strokes. The data showed how one had an effect on one another but not the cause of the death of the other. The causes for the increase in the rates of people with this disease were because of other health issues, genetics, and aging.

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Figure 1 demonstrated how as age increased, the death rates of people who had Alzheimer’s Disease increased as well. Figure 2 provided a table for the rates seen in Figure 1. For ages 45-54 the death rate, per 100,000, stayed at a steady rate of 0.2 from 2000-2017. The death rates for ages 55-64 increased from 2.0 to 2.8. For ages 65-74, the rates increased from 18.7 to 24.5. The death rates for ages 75-84 increased from 139.6 to 219.7. Lastly, for ages 85 and older the death rates significantly increased from a rate of 667.7 to 1,244.7. There was not much of an increase for people aged 65-74. However, the death rates of people aged 75 and older, increased drastically.

This disease can be genetic and be passed down from generation to generation. A mutation in genes can cause a person to develop Alzheimer’s Disease. However, this disease also has a hereditary component to it. If people’s parents or siblings have the gene for the disease, the chances of developing this disease increases. It can also be inherited from supplementary health issues, such as heart diseases or cerebral vascular diseases, such as strokes. Figure 4 shows a chart of the leading causes of death in the United States, which includes heart diseases as the leading cause of death. Figure 4 also shows that about 31.7 people, per 100,000, died due to Alzheimer’s Disease and about 30.1, per 100,000 died due to strokes.

As people age, the chances of dying increase. According to Figure 3, the average life expectancy is about 78.7. The symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease are usually first seen at the age of sixty-five. As people age, the symptoms worsen. The results indicated that people who suffered from strokes had higher chances of developing Alzheimer’s Disease as the effects of strokes are detrimental. According to this research, MRI images of the brains of people who had Alzheimer’s Disease showed similar plaques and lesions in the brain that were also found in people who suffered from strokes. This is evidence that there is a correlation between this disease and strokes.

DISCUSSION

The importance of this research was to find why the death rates of people who had Alzheimer’s Disease increased over the years. The death rates increased with age and it was hypothesized that the reason for this was due to strokes. Strokes were not necessarily the reason for the increase in death rate but played a part in the cause of this disease. As people age, the risk of having additional health issues increase, such as strokes, high blood pressure and cholesterol (Ballard et al. 2011). Along with these health issues, elderly people tend to suffer with depression and anxiety as well. According to the results, suffering from a stroke can lead to developing Alzheimer’s Disease.

The significance of this research was to understand that the rates of people who have Alzheimer’s Disease are increasing and are projected to double in the next 20-30 years. Many studies on the deaths of Alzheimer’s Disease do not focus on stroke being the primary reason of death. However, with this completed research it is apparent as to why there was in increase in the death rates. This research showed that the lives of people who suffer from this disease can be prolonged, with the help of medication and therapy, up to age 85 but plateaus at approximately age 90 (Bondi et al. 2017). The chances of suffering from a stroke are extremely high at this age. People who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease forget how to complete daily tasks, they are unable to recognize common things, disoriented and frequently experience confusion. At the age of 90, their immune system weakens and their ability to fight infections is extremely low, which can lead to death.

The greatest risk factor of Alzheimer’s Disease is age. The symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease worsen with age. The symptoms are not noticed at an early age but at the age of 65, the symptoms become more apparent. The effects of this disease lead to dementia, which is the decline of cognitive ability. Memory loss is one of the first alarming symptoms. Over the years, people who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease forget how to complete daily tasks, they are unable to recognize common things, disoriented and frequently experience confusion (Vijayan and Reddy 2016). Additionally, at the later stages, their ability to fight infections get impaired which ultimately leads to death.

Strokes can affect a person’s mobility, speech, memory, and at times, lead to death. Alzheimer’s Disease has a similar effect as it is a degenerative disease that causes dementia. The MRI images of people who suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease and strokes had similar features. Alzheimer’s Disease is associated with synaptic loss and dysfunction, plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles (Vijayan and Reddy 2016). The images of people who suffered from strokes also consisted of plaques, synaptic dysfunction, and intracellular tangles. These images were important because there was a correlation between the two. Both had similar effects on the brain. Since they have similar effects, the studies of strokes can be used to further expand our knowledge on Alzheimer’s Disease and help develop treatment to better control this disease.

Although Alzheimer’s Disease is mostly genetic, certain steps that can help prolong the symptoms of this disease. There is not a specific plan that one needs to follow but simple daily tasks can help such as walking. Walking while having conversations tends to improve posture and motor abilities. Easy word puzzles improve mental functions and can possibly improve memory. Small and tolerable muscle and strength exercises can be done to improve strength and balance. These will prevent falling in the later stages of the disease (Paillard 2016). Taking appropriate medication and vitamins will certainly assist in elongating one’s life. Alzheimer’s Disease is a growing challenge and has a significant impact on individuals and those around them.

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