By Hunter Nguyen
April 2022 | 2022 Spring Newsletter
As a person ages, they may occasionally experience issues with memory. A common fear is that lapses in memory might mean a person is developing Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). While there are many factors that may put someone at a higher risk of developing AD, aging is not one of them. Below are answers to three common questions to help explain more about AD.
Are AD and dementia the same thing?
No. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, dementia is a “general term for symptoms like decline in memory, reasoning, or other thinking skills.” AD is the most common type of dementia.
According to the Mayo Clinic, it is possible for a person to be diagnosed with multiple types of dementia.
The National Institute on Aging describes the cause of AD as a buildup in the brain of plaques and tangles made of different proteins. Like AD, Lewy body dementia is caused by Lewy bodies in the brain, which are clumps of one specific protein. Vascular dementia is caused by damage to blood vessels in the brain, such as damage from a stroke. Frontotemporal dementia is caused by nerve cell damage in the brain.
Is AD determined by genetics?
Not necessarily. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, a person with the APOE-e4 gene has a higher risk of being diagnosed with AD than a person without the gene. Yet, having this gene does not guarantee that a person will develop AD.
There are other risk factors for AD besides genetics. Head injuries, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, tobacco use, and excessive alcohol consumption increase the risk of AD. Meanwhile, healthy eating, exercise, and an active social life may decrease the risk.
If I am having memory problems, does that mean I have AD?
No. According to the Mayo Clinic, there are reversible causes of memory problems, such as depression and polypharmacy (taking six or more drugs per day). A study from the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association found evidence of a link between polypharmacy and memory problems in older adults.
For more information and resources for Alzheimer’s disease, visit the Alzheimer’s Association website at alz.org or call their helpline at (800) 272-3900.