the journalist and broadcaster. Fiona Phillips has acknowledged having Alzheimer's.
When this type of dementia was discovered in her, she was only 61 years old.
No, dementia is a sign of many different brain disorders.
The most prevalent demential symptom is memory loss, especially the inability to recall recent events.
Changes in behavior, mood, and personality, getting lost in familiar places, or having trouble finding the right words to use in a conversation are some additional symptoms that can occur.
It may get to the point where people become unaware of their hunger or thirst.
Of all the conditions that lead to dementia, Alzheimer's disease is by far the most prevalent.
Others include frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson's disease dementia, vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and the recently discovered Late.
Memory lapses are frequently one of Alzheimer's disease's initial symptoms.
This might involve forgetting recent conversations, misplacing items, forgetting names, or repeatedly asking the same question.
Additionally, mood swings like increased anxiety or confusion are possible.
More details on the typical signs of the various types of dementia can be found on the NHS website.
One in six people over the age of 80 will develop Alzheimer's disease, which is primarily an old age disease.
Early onset Alzheimer's, also called young onset Alzheimer's, is relatively uncommon. However, cases of Alzheimer's in people under the age of 65 account for 5% of all cases.
In their 30s and 40s, a much smaller proportion of people are affected, typically as a result of a defective gene that has been passed down through the generations.
There is no known way to prevent early onset Alzheimer's disease; the only known risk factor is having close relatives who also have the disease.
The early onset form of the disease progresses in an irreversible manner, impairing memory, thinking abilities, and behavior.
Before receiving her diagnosis, Fiona Phillips said she had suffered from brain fog for several months.
Although there is no official medical definition of brain fog, it is frequently used by people to describe a foggy mind, lack of focus, and difficulty thinking quickly or clearly.
Although there is no known way to prevent dementia, there are ways to improve your chances.
According to research, lifestyle changes like: could prevent one out of every three cases.
- midlife hearing loss treatment.
- extending the time spent in school.
- giving up smoking.
- seeking out early depression treatment.
- being active physically.
- staying out of the social void.
- lowering blood pressure.
- not gaining weight.
- avoiding getting type 2 diabetes.
It is not entirely clear why carrying out these actions can aid in brain defense.
Do these lifestyle choices actually slow the progression of dementia in the brain, or do they instead make the brain more flexible and connected in order to better withstand the effects of neuronal death and delay the onset of symptoms?
You can follow all of the advice given to try and prevent dementia and still develop it, or you can do nothing and not experience dementia.
The answer is yes, but that's not the whole picture.
Alzheimer's "decimated" Fiona Phillips' family, and having a parent or sibling with the disease raises your risk of getting it as well.
However, neither being in a family free of Alzheimer's nor having relatives with the disease does not guarantee that you will be spared from getting it.
At University College Hospital in London, she is taking part in drug trials for a substance called miridesap. This calls for daily stomach injections for a maximum of a year.
The trial's objective is to determine whether the medication can prevent amyloid plaques from harming brain cells by removing a protein from the brain known as SAP (serum amyloid P component).
This may play a role in the progression of Alzheimer's disease, according to the researchers.
The DESPIAD trial, which also conducts tests on brain function, is still accepting patients with mild Alzheimer's disease.
Yes. Clinical trials have for the first time demonstrated that certain medications can slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
Early on in the illness, donanemab and lecanemab target amyloid in the brain.
Amyloid deposits create plaques, which are one of the symptoms of the disease, in the spaces between brain cells.
These medications don't seem to have a significant benefit, and they don't seem to stop or reverse the disease, but they do demonstrate that it is possible to slow it down.
These medications have not yet transitioned from academic research to common hospital use.
