What is Alzheimer's disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that leads to the death of brain cells and brain shrinkage. It is the most common cause of dementia, a continuous decline in thinking, behavioral, and social skills that disrupts a person's ability to function independently.

What are the early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease?

Early symptoms often include difficulty remembering recent conversations, names, or events, and apathy or depression. As the disease progresses, symptoms worsen and can involve impaired communication, disorientation, confusion, and behavioral changes.

What causes Alzheimer's disease?

The exact cause of Alzheimer's disease is not fully understood, but it's believed to be a combination of genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors that affect the brain over time. Brain changes related to Alzheimer's include amyloid plaques and tau tangles, which are abnormal protein deposits.

How is Alzheimer's disease diagnosed?

Diagnosing Alzheimer's disease typically involves a thorough medical history, mental status tests, neurological exams, and sometimes brain imaging (like MRI or PET scans) and blood tests. These help rule out other conditions and identify markers associated with the disease.

Is there a cure for Alzheimer's disease?

Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, but medications and management strategies can temporarily improve symptoms and slow the progression of cognitive decline in some people. These treatments focus on helping maintain mental function, manage behavioral changes, and support daily living.

Knowledge Graph · Condition

Alzheimer's Disease

A progressive neurologic disorder that causes brain cells to die and the brain to shrink.

Authoritative sources

Evidence base

Observational Cohort Study · 2023 · Landmark
Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Risk of Dementia
BMJ · Pourhadi N, Mørch LS, Holm EA, et al.
A large Danish study suggested a small association between long-term HRT and dementia risk, but experts caution the study cannot prove HRT causes dementia and contradicts other evidence.
Randomized Controlled Trial · 2026
Donanemab in early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease: results from the TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 2 long-term extension
The journal of prevention of Alzheimer's disease · Zimmer JA, Sims JR, Evans CD, Nery ESM, et al.
Meta-Analysis · 2025
The role of the Mediterranean diet in reducing the risk of cognitive impairement, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease: a meta-analysis
GeroScience · Fekete M, Varga P, Ungvari Z, Fekete JT, et al.
Randomized Controlled Trial · 2025
evoke and evoke+: design of two large-scale, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 studies evaluating efficacy, safety, and tolerability of semaglutide in early-stage symptomatic Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's research & therapy · Cummings JL, Atri A, Feldman HH, Hansson O, et al.
Randomized Controlled Trial · 2024
Brexpiprazole treatment for agitation in Alzheimer's dementia: A randomized study
Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · Nakamura Y, Adachi J, Hirota N, Iba K, et al.
Randomized Controlled Trial · 2024
Updated safety results from phase 3 lecanemab study in early Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's research & therapy · Honig LS, Sabbagh MN, van Dyck CH, Sperling RA, et al.
Systematic Review · 2024
Comparative efficacy, tolerability and acceptability of donanemab, lecanemab, aducanumab and lithium on cognitive function in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review and network meta-analysis
Ageing research reviews · Terao I, Kodama W
Randomized Controlled Trial · 2023
Lecanemab in Early Alzheimer's Disease
The New England journal of medicine · van Dyck CH, Swanson CJ, Aisen P, Bateman RJ, et al.
Meta-Analysis · 2022
Statin use and risk of dementia or Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies
European journal of preventive cardiology · Olmastroni E, Molari G, De Beni N, Colpani O, et al.
Meta-Analysis · 2022
Physical activity as a protective factor for dementia and Alzheimer's disease: systematic review, meta-analysis and quality assessment of cohort and case-control studies
British journal of sports medicine · Iso-Markku P, Kujala UM, Knittle K, Polet J, et al.
Meta-Analysis · 2022
The Effect of Aerobic Exercise on Cognitive Function in People with Alzheimer's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
International journal of environmental research and public health · Zhang S, Zhen K, Su Q, Chen Y, et al.
Meta-Analysis · 2021
Exercise interventions in Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Ageing research reviews · López-Ortiz S, Valenzuela PL, Seisdedos MM, Morales JS, et al.

Where Alzheimer's Disease appears on Kindr Health

Data hub

Menopause Statistics

Wiki

Journal

This page is part of Kindr Health's public Knowledge Graph. Content is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.