There is early-stage Alzheimer’s and is a rarer but much more aggressive form of the disease that affects people at a younger age.
Alzheimer’s disease is often viewed as a disease that only affects older people. Surprisingly, however Around 3.9 million people aged 30 to 64 worldwide live with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Recently, English journalist and broadcaster Fiona Phillips, 62, publicly announced that she had been diagnosed with the disease. In an interview, she revealed that the main symptoms she suffered from before her diagnosis were brain fog and anxiety.
In early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, symptoms can appear much earlier, in rare cases as early as age 30, although diagnosis is usually made between the ages of 50 and 64.
In addition, people with this type of Alzheimer’s suffer from it, in contrast to the common form of the disease, in which memory loss is a predominant symptom They usually have other symptoms B. Difficulties in attention, problems with movement coordination and reduced spatial perception.
A more aggressive disease if it occurs at an early age
Although these people may have less cognitive impairment at the time of diagnosis, studies have suggested this They experience more rapid changes in the brain than those with the type of Alzheimer’s that you know and see in older people.
The problem is that this suggests that the disease may be more aggressive in early cases, which could explain why the life expectancy of people with this type of Alzheimer’s is typically about two years shorter than that of other patients.
The study also mentions that genetics play a role in about one in 10 cases of early-stage Alzheimer’s. To date, three genes (APP, PSEN1 and PSEN2) have been identified that are associated with this form of the disease.
These are linked to a toxic protein called amyloid beta, which is thought to contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. When these genes have mutations, there is an accumulation of toxic beta-amyloid, which is associated with the symptoms of this disease.
With all this, What can people do in the face of this reality? In some countries, people diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s may be prescribed medications to help control symptoms.
While therapies that can slow the progression of symptoms are approved in the U.S., they have only been tested in people with late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, so it is not clear whether they will have the same effect in these cases.
Although it is not possible to change genetics and reduce risk, some research supports the idea that resistance to disease can be strengthened through a healthier lifestyle.
