Alzheimer's Disease

       Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a serious degenerative brain disease. People who suffer from this disease will lose memory, difficultly speak and understand languages, also has problems with focusing attention, impaired movement or altered personality. 

From the video The Forgetting we watched in the class, the patents suffer that losing ability to take care of themselves and the always confuse ordinary things, even forget their nearest family. Since their family members have to give up their jobs in order to take care of the patients. All the medical costs with the disease are over 100 billion dollars annually. Since AD is not only a social tragedy but also economic tragedy. In addition, the percentage of people with Alzheimer’s disease increases as age pasts 65. In America the number increases 10 times compare to 15 years ago. When the baby boomers star to get this disease, these numbers are going to explode.

 

It seems we have to take step to control the rising diseases rate. However, it is despair that there is no cure for this disease. The only way is using medicine to slow down the illness. Many people will curious that what causes Alzheimer’s disease? There are two main effects: plaques and tangles. Scientists think they block nerve cells’ ability to communicate with each other, making it difficult for the cells to survive.

At last, I hope the scientists can find out a way to cure Alzheimer’s disease patients. Since patients don’t suffer losing memory any more and their family can take an easier life.