Alzheimer''s disease: from theory to practice
Alzheimer''s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia. The disease is typically found in people over 65 years. On average, AD patients live for about 8-10 years after the onset of clinical manifestations. AD is conditioned by a number of factors which are subdivided into modifiable (lifestyle) and non-modifyable (sex and age). In most cases, the impact of genetic factors on the risk of developing AD is low. CT, MRI and laboratory tests help exclude other possible causes of dementia. At the moment, there is no cure from AD, though there are plenty of ways to improve the quality of life of patient. Use of drugs can temporarily relieve severity of certain symptoms or inhibit the progression of the disease. Memantine can be prescribed to patients with moderate to severe stage of the disease. In addition to drug therapy, cognitive stimulation is favourable. Multimodal therapy of the disease seems to be the most feasible way.