Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia; it’s a progressive disease with symptoms worsening over a number of years ^[1].

Those with Alzheimer’s have been found to have abnormal amounts of a chemical called acetylcholine in the brain, along with fibres and protein. While it is not known what causes this process to start, the effects are understood to reduce the effectiveness of healthy neurons, eventually resulting in their destruction^[2].

The total annual cost of care for Alzheimer’s patients is projected to reach $412 billion in 2025 and is likely to surpass $1 trillion by 2030. The bulk of the cost (75%) is covered by Medicare and Medicaid programs.^[3]

Around 7.2 million people are estimated to be living with Alzheimer’s in the United States, 74% of whom are aged 75 or older. ^[4]

The percentage of people with Alzheimer’s increases with age, but people younger than 65 can also develop it. Although studies on the prevalence of young-onset dementia in the US are limited, it is estimated that about 110 out of every 100,000 people age 30 to 64 years, or about 200,000 in total, have it. ^[4]

Older Black Americans are about twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s as White Americans, and older Hispanic Americans about 1.5 times as likely ^[4].

Alzheimer’s Disease Facts

• Around 1 in 9 people 65 or older in the US have Alzheimer’s ^[4]
• Women have a higher lifetime risk for Alzheimer’s than men – 1 in 5 compared to 1 in 10. ^[4]
• Almost two thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women ^[4]
• In 2022, Alzheimer’s was the sixth leading cause of death in the US for people aged 65 and older ^[4]
• Deaths from Alzheimer’s have more than doubled between 2020-2022, whereas those from heart disease, which is the leading cause of death overall, have decreased ^[4]
• Someone develops dementia every 3 seconds ^[5].
• The worldwide cost of dementia is about $1.3 trillion ^[5]

Alzheimer’s Disease, Cord Blood and Stem Cells

There are currently 15 clinical trials investigating the application of stem cells in Alzheimer’s disease^[6].

Studies using mice have shown some promise in using stem cells to treat Alzheimer’s. One study found that the mice which had received human umbilical cord blood showed improved cognitive capacities, particularly learning, memory and motor function. The team conducting the study found that monocytes (a type of white blood cell) derived from human umbilical cord blood consumed and cleared the plaque fragments responsible for AD ^[7].

Scientists in Japan are treating the condition in trial stages by transplanting mesenchymal stem cells from patients’ fat tissue to the bloodstream. Results so far offer hope that a cure could be found in the next few decades.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) are playing a crucial role in the study of Alzheimer’s disease. Taking skin cells from patients with Alzheimer’s, scientists are able to reprogram the cells to create neurons. These neurons show some of the key features of Alzheimer’s and could enable scientists to understand better how and why the brain produces the plaques and tangles that cause the disease. This, in turn, can lead to the development of effective therapies ^[8].

References

1. 1. https://www.cdc.gov/alzheimers-dementia/about/alzheimers.html
   2. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/alzheimers-disease/causes/
   3. https://nchstats.com/alzheimers-disease-in-the-us/
   4. https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/facts-figures
   5. https://www.alzint.org/about/dementia-facts-figures/
   6. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=stem+cells+alzheimers&Search=Search
   7. http://alzheimersnewstoday.com/2015/09/18/monocytes-human-umbilical-cord-blood-improve-alzheimers-cognitive-deficits/
   8. http://www.eurostemcell.org/factsheet/alzheimer’s-disease-how-could-stem-cells-help
   9. Cell transplantation, 24(11), 2237–2250. https://doi.org/10.3727/096368915X688894
   10. Alzheimer’s research & therapy, 13(1), 154. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-021-00897-2 

The information contained in this article is for information purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of a medical expert. If you have any concerns about your health we urge you to discuss them with your doctor.