{"id":5449,"date":"2017-01-08T17:45:12","date_gmt":"2017-01-08T22:45:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joinastudy.ca\/?p=5449"},"modified":"2018-08-09T14:06:34","modified_gmt":"2018-08-09T18:06:34","slug":"faq-alzheimer-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joinastudy.ca\/fr\/faq-alzheimer-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"Frequently Asked Questions About Alzheimer\u2019s Disease"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/h3>\n

What is Alzheimer’s disease?<\/h3>\n

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a degenerative disorder that affects the brain. It destroys brain cells, breaking down neural connections and causing memory, behavior, and mental function to deteriorate. <\/span><\/p>\n

AD affects people in different ways. Sometimes, the disease progresses gradually, leaving major cognitive functions such as reasoning and memory intact for several years.\u00a0<\/span>In other cases, it comes on strong, swiftly robbing people of their reasoning and memory.<\/p>\n

In either case, AD will eventually become severe enough to interrupt daily activities and functioning. By the later stages, near-constant care may be a necessity<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Who does it affect?<\/b><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

According to the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada<\/a>, approximately 564,000 Canadians are living with dementia including Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia. <\/span><\/p>\n

Estimates suggest that within the next 15 years, approximately 937,000 Canadians will be living with dementia. Today, 1.1 million Canadians are affected by dementia, either directly or indirectly. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"FAQ<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The biggest risk factor for AD is age. Alzheimer’s mostly affects adults over the age of 65. The older you are, the higher the risk. <\/span><\/p>\n

For instance, people over the age of 85 have just under a 50% chance of developing the disease. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Early-onset AD\u2014a much rarer condition\u2014affects middle-aged people in their 40s or 50s or early 60s. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What is early-onset Alzheimer’s disease? <\/b><\/h2>\n

Early-onset AD usually strikes before the age of 65, making the impact all the more devastating, both for those diagnosed and for their family and friends. However, it’s much rarer than late-onset AD. For example, out of the 564,000 Canadians affected by dementia, only 16,000 are under the age of 65<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Early-onset AD has a genetic link<\/a>, which means that people with a strong family history of the disease are at an increased risk for early-onset AD. Though symptoms are often similar, people with early-onset AD tend to worsen more quickly than those with late-onset Alzheimer’s<\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What are the warning signs of AD? <\/b><\/h2>\n

Some researchers believe that AD may be present up to two decades before symptoms appear. Alzheimer’s often goes undiagnosed, and the average time between the first symptoms and a diagnosis is 2.8 years<\/a><\/span>. This is because some symptoms are part of the normal process of aging, and don’t necessarily signal AD. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"FAQ<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Some common warning signs include: <\/span><\/h4>\n