World Alzheimer’s Day is approaching.
Every September 21, a special day is commemorated to raise awareness about this disease.
This day is an international campaign that highlights the problems faced by people affected by this type of dementia.
An opportunity for society in general and organizations to demonstrate how we can overcome these problems and help people to live better with the disease.

In this post we talk about what Alzheimer’s is and we will break down the most important points, starting from the causes and consequences, to the most promising therapeutic approaches (in a very cursory way) that science continues to investigate.

What is Alzheimer’s?

Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior.
Symptoms usually develop slowly and worsen over time, until they are so severe that they interfere with everyday tasks. https://www.alz.org/alzheimer-demencia/que-es-la-enfermedad-de-alzheimer

The name of this disease is due to the German doctor Alois Alzheimer who first researched and described the pathological findings of this disease.

Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease

Alzheimer’s disease is of a neurodegenerative type whose specific etiopathogenesis is still unknown and in which the death of nerve cells occurs in certain brain regions.
There is, therefore, brain atrophy, decreased brain mass and impaired production of certain neurotransmitters.

Of the total cluster of proteins that may participate in the development of the disease, there is a scientific consensus based specifically on two brain proteins involved.
The first of these is beta-amyloid (βA), which acts from the extracellular medium and accumulates to form plaques called senile plaques.
These plaques form interneuronal junctions that interrupt neuronal function.

Secondly, and acting from the intracellular environment, the accumulation of hyperphosphorylated forms of TAU protein can be observed.
In this case, intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles are formed that block the cellular transport systems. https://www.alzint.org/u/WorldAlzheimerReport2018.pdf

How is the diagnosis suspected?

The first symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease can be:

• Memory loss.
  Declining memory, especially short-term memory, is the most common early symptom of dementia.
  Memories of things that happened a long time ago can be preserved over recent events.

• Difficulty performing family tasks.
  People with the disease often find it difficult to complete everyday tasks that are normally very familiar to them and are usually done without thinking.
  Someone with dementia may not know what order to put on clothes or the steps to prepare a meal.

• Problems with language.
  A person with Alzheimer’s may often forget simple words or substitute unusual words for them, making speech or writing difficult to understand.
  They may also have difficulty following a conversation and therefore become more withdrawn.

• Disorientation in time and place.
  They may get lost in familiar places like the street they live on, forget where they are or how they got there, and not know how to get home.
  Night and day can also be confused.

• Poor or diminished judgment.
  They may dress inappropriately, wearing several layers of clothing on a hot day or very few on a cold day.

• Problems with concentration, planning or organization.
  They may have difficulty making decisions, solving problems, or keeping up with paying their bills.

• Loss of things.
  A person with dementia may put things in unusual places, such as an iron in the fridge or a toothbrush next to forks in the kitchen.

• Changes in mood or behavior.
  Alzheimer’s disease can cause someone to become unusually emotional and experience rapid mood swings or irritability for no apparent reason.
  In addition, they may show less emotion or social interaction than was previously the norm.

• Problems with images or spatial relationships.
  People with dementia may have difficulty reading, judging distances, seeing objects in three dimensions, and determining color or contrast.

• Retirement from work or social activities.
  They may become very passive, sitting in front of the TV for hours, sleeping more than usual, or seeming to lose interest in their hobbies that were enjoyable to them.

Treatment

There is currently no curative treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
However, there are pharmacological therapies and non-pharmacological therapies – such as psychosocial interventions – that aim to slow down the deterioration process, trying to maintain autonomy and preserved capacities for as long as possible.
An appropriate treatment should have the following characteristics:

• Comprehensive: both pharmacological and non-pharmacological actions, since the maintenance of physical health is as important as the management of the psychological and behavioral symptoms associated with deterioration.
  The person should be kept stimulated and try to avoid the isolation that affects the dementia process.
  Treatment should also include the caregiver family, which represents an important resource throughout the process.
• Personalized: since this neurodegenerative process occurs progressively and in a certain way erratically, treatment must focus on the person, taking into account their individuality, personal history and resources from the environment.
• Continuous: the sick person and their family must be supported throughout the disease process.
  This includes diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, and end-of-life care.

The overall treatment should also include care for the family and the main caregiver.
It has been proven that the less overload they manifest and the greater the resilience, the better the situation of the sick person will be, both in their quality of life and in their ability to respond to positive stimuli or treatment. https://www.ceafa.es/es/el-alzheimer/el-tratamiento-farmacologico-y-nf

Different approaches

A study has recently been published that would generate an association between intestinal dysbiosis and the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
The conclusion was that disease progression is associated with alteration of the gut microbiota and infiltration of immune cells.
The work has been published by the prestigious journal Cell Research and has been analysed by Professor David Holzmann, who is an international leader in Alzheimer’s.
Their answer was that, beyond the fact that the importance of maintaining the intestinal microbiota is scientifically proven, the study does not contain significant samples to support the result.
In addition, the competent Chinese agency has not disclosed the control criteria.
The study can be seen at the following link: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-019-0216-x

Helpful Resources

To have a little more information, we leave you some links that could be useful:

• https://afabaix.org/es/ AFA Baix Llobregat is the Association of Relatives of Alzheimer’s Patients in Baix Llobregat.
• https://fpmaragall.org/ Pasqual Maragall Foundation for Alzheimer’s Research.
• http://www.alzfae.org/ FAE Alzheimer Foundation Spain.
• https://www.ceafa.es/es CEAFA Spanish Alzheimer’s Confederation.

Conclusion

Alzheimer’s disease generally affects older adults, with a higher prevalence in women, probably due to their longer life expectancy.
As we mentioned before, to date there is no cure or treatment that substantially improves the living conditions of people who suffer from the disease.

As always, at Salengei, we focus on a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy microbiota through the inclusion of pre- and probiotics, supplementation with antioxidants to counteract inflammation caused by free radicals, omega-3 fatty acid supplements and, above all, the maintenance of proper mental and social health.

We can also suggest our Active Memory, which is especially suitable for older people who want to prevent age-related cognitive decline.
Curcumin (Longvida®), polyphenols (Memophenol™), a nootropic (Bacopa monnier) in synergy with some vitamins, give this supplement an inestimable value.

All these instruments, applied in a sustained way, could improve the conditions of some patients, but also potentially prevent the appearance not only of this type of neurodegenerative disease, but of many others of various kinds.