Alzheimer’s Disease (AD): The Risk Factors

Alzheimer’s is a disease of the brain that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. It is not a normal part of aging.

Alzheimer’s get worse over time as the brain continues to shrink. The first noticeable problem is severe forgetfulness that affect their ability to function at home or at work, or to enjoy lifelong hobbies.

Biopsychosocial approach systematically considers biological, psychological and social factors and their complex interactions in understanding the risk factors that causes AD.

Biopsychosocial model is used to understand the risk factors of AD.

Biopsychosocial approach systematically considers biological, psychological and social

factors and their complex interactions in understanding the risk factors that causes AD.

Biopsychosocial Model

BiologicalGenetic,

Neurodegeneration

Social

Socialeconomic Status,

Medical History, Lifestyle Psy

chol

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ion

Health

Gender Attitude

Trauma

Joint collabration:

Alzheimer’s Disease Foundation Malaysia (ADFM)

Alzheimer’ Disease Foundation Malaysia (ADFM) is a non-profit organization formed in 1997 with the

objective of helping people with dementia and their caregivers in the country. ADFM supports a wide network of support groups throughout

Malaysia to empower them to promote and offer care and support for people with dementia and their carers. ADFM’s vision is an improved quality of life for people with dementia and their families in the country. Besides that, ADFM plays the role

of promoting greater awareness of dementia, besides advocating for the dementia community

in Malaysia.

For more information please visit: www.adfm.org.my.

IMU CaresThe philosophy of the IMU Cares programme

is focused on making specific elements of the IMU Vision into reality. These include

helping to create “a community of scholars and professionals committed to serving society,

promoting the development of students to reach their true potential in becoming competent,

ethical, caring and inquiring citizens and visionary leaders”.

For more information please visit: www.imu.edu.my/imucares

No 126, Jalan Jalil Perkasa 19, Bukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur. Tel:+603-8656 7228 Fax:+603-8656 7229

Depression

Depression is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults. It will affect the whole person which include mind, body and emotions.

Symptoms of depression include a persistent feeling of sadness, lack of energy, changes in normal eating and sleeping, memory disturbances and impaired concentration, loss of interest in usual activities, and trouble keeping up with normal activities at home and work.

These symptoms before the onset of AD are associated with the development of AD, even in families where first depression symptoms occurred more than 25 years before the onset of AD. These data suggest that depression symptoms are a risk factor for later development of AD.

Other research also suggests older adults with depressive symptoms can be at increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Biological factors: Social factors:Psychological factors:

Age and family history are the 2 most important risk factors for Alzheimer’s Disease.

Neurodegeneration

AD leads to nerve cell death (atrophy) of a part of brain, called Hippocampus.

As opposed to generalized age related atrophy, which is normal aging process, the damage in AD initially appears to take place in the hippocampus, the part of the brain essential in forming memories.

As more neurons die, additional parts of the brain are affected, and they begin to shrink. By the final stage of AD, damage is widespread, and brain tissue has shrunk significantly.

Preclinical AD

Mild to Moderate AD

Severe AD

Prepared by: Chiang Poh Yee, Hausala Dewi, Lai Shiau Yuen

Psychology Students - IMU

Socioeconomic Status (SES)

SES is highly associated with education. Risk of having Alzheimer’s disease is higher in the lower SES population. Education acts as a form of cognitive reserve that might delay cognitive and functional expression of neurodegeneration illnesses.

Medical History

Many vascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, homocysteinemia have recently been shown to increase the risk of AD.

Lifestyle

There’s no lifestyle factor that’s been definitively shown to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease. However, some evidence suggests that the same factors that put an individual at risk of heart disease also may increase the chance to develop Alzheimer’s. Examples include: Lack of exercise, obesity, smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, high blood pressure & cholesterol, poorly controlled type 2 diabetes, and a diet lacking in fruits and vegetables.