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WHAT IS ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE?The human brain contains tens of billions of neurons. These specialized cells process and transmit information between diff erent parts of the brain, and from the brain to the muscles and organs that make up the body. Alzheimer’s disease, named for German physician Dr. Alois Alzheimer, disrupts these message pathways, resulting in the death of the cells. At fi rst, the disease typically destroys neurons, cells specialized to transmit information throughout the body, and their connections in parts of the brain related to memory. Later, the disease can aff ect areas in the cerebral cortex responsible for language, reasoning, and social behavior.

Alzheimer’s is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. Eventually, those suff ering from Alzheimer’s disease lose the ability to carry out the simplest tasks and thus their ability to live and function independently.

Though the eff ects of the disease are similar, there are two main types of Alzheimer’s disease.

• Early-onset Alzheimer’s develops before age 65 and appears to be linked with a defect in a specifi c part of a person’s DNA: chromosome 14. A form of muscle twitching, called myoclonus, is also more common in individuals with early-onset Alzheimer’s.

• Late-onset Alzheimer’s, the most common form of the disease, happens to people age 65 and older. Researchers haven’t found a particular gene that causes the disease, nor do they know why some people get Alzheimer’s and others do not.

WHO SUFFERS FROM ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE?The global prevalence of Alzheimer’s and dementia has been diffi cult to estimate as its calculation is aff ected by a variety of factors from life expectancy to quality of health data reporting. Across the globe, at least 50 million people are believed to be living with Alzheimer’s disease. According to the United Nations, that is more than the population of Columbia. By 2050 the rate could exceed 152 million.

M3 GLOBAL RESEARCH THERAPEUTIC REVIEW

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

QUICK FACTS

Worldwide dementia care is estimated to cost upwards of

$1 TRILLION

MORE THAN16 MILLION

Americans, usually family and friends, provide unpaid care for someone with

Alzheimer’s disease or dementia

Every 65 secondssomeone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s disease

1 in 3 seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or

another dementia

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and may contribute to

60-70% of cases

Last updated on 25 October 2019

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2.

Many factors infl uence when the disease begins and how it progresses. Age is the most important known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease though it is not a normal part of aging. The number of people with the disease doubles every fi ve years beyond age 65. But Alzheimer’s is not a disease of old age. While considered a relatively rare form of the condition, early-onset Alzheimer’s accounts for 10 percent of all cases.

Late-onset Alzheimer’s is caused by a combination of genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors. On average, a person with Alzheimer’s lives four-to-eight years a� er diagnosis, but can live as long as 20 years, depending on other factors.

More women than men have Alzheimer’s. Nearly two-in-three people with the disease are women, however, this statistic is somewhat misleading because women as a group live longer than men. While more women may be aff ected by Alzheimer’s at any one time, if men were to

live as long as women and did not die of other illnesses, the number of males with the disease would be about the same as that of women.

In the United States, older black/African Americans and Hispanics are more likely than older whites to have Alzheimer’s. Diff erences in health, lifestyle, and socioeconomic risk factors likely account for most of the diff erences in risk of Alzheimer’s. While some evidence does indicate that health conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, which are associated with an increased risk for Alzheimer’s, are believed to account for these diff erences, as they are more prevalent in black/African American and Hispanic people.

HOW IS ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE TREATED?No cure for Alzheimer’s exists and current treatments cannot stop the disease from progressing, they can, however; temporarily slow the worsening of dementia symptoms and improve the quality of life for those with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.

For those with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s, medications called cholinesterase inhibitors are prescribed. While scientists do not fully understand how cholinesterase inhibitors work, research indicates that they prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, a brain chemical believed to be important for memory and thinking. By delaying the destruction of neurotransmitters, these drugs may help to control or reduce Alzheimer’s symptoms by regulating the brain chemicals that transfer messages between neurons. As Alzheimer’s progresses, the brain produces less and less

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ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Across the globe, at least 50 million people are believed to be living with Alzheimer’s disease. According to the United Nations, that is more than the population of Columbia. By 2050 the rate could exceed 152 million.

Last updated on 25 October 2019

© 2019 M3 USA Corporation. All rights reserved.| www.M3GlobalResearch.com

3.

M3 GLOBAL RESEARCH THERAPEUTIC REVIEW

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

M3 KNOWS ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Between 1 October 2018 – 1 October 2019, M3 Global Research fi elded 17 Alzheimer’s studies (six quantitative, 10 qualitative, one hybrid) across 10 countries, with 2,317 completes. These studies were done for 13 clients and M3 paid approximately $162,850 in incentives for these studies.

For additional information on accessing our robust global panel of neurologists, patients, and caregivers, contact research@usa.m3.com.

Sources: https://www.alz.org/alzheimer_s_dementia, https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/how-alzheimers-disease-treated, https://www.dementiastatistics.org/statistics/global-prevalence/, https://www.brightfocus.org/research/alzheimers-disease-research-program, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2173580817301232

acetylcholine; therefore, cholinesterase inhibitors may eventually lose their eff ect.

Memantine, a drug treatment for individuals with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease, works in another brain cell communication network to regulate the activity of glutamate, a chemical involved in information processing, storage, and retrieval. The medication works to slow the progression of symptoms, improve memory, attention, reasoning, language, and the ability to perform simple tasks.