Alzheimer's disease is a neural disorder that results in short and long-term memory loss along with severely handicapped reasoning abilities over time. At present, there is no known cure for this disorder. However, some preliminary studies have shown that there may be a significant link between alleviation in Alzheimer's symptoms and the administration of drugs traditionally used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
History
Alzheimer's disease was first officially diagnosed in 1906 by Alois Alzheimer. However, only in the last 15 years has significant progress been made in discovering what causes this disease and treat it.
Types
There is only one type of Alzheimer's disease, but it has several stages. Mild Alzheimer's patients can usually live normal lives and compensate for their weaknesses in memory and cognition. Moderate Alzheimer's patients tend to need more help and medication but still can live on their own or with loved ones. Severe or advanced Alzheimer's patients tend to be violent and easily agitated because they have trouble figuring out what is going on around them or who they and the people around them are. People who develop Alzheimer's symptoms before they turn 65 are termed "early-onset" patients, which means that they have developed the disease far earlier than most. There is only one type of rheumatoid arthritis, and that is chronic rheumatoid arthritis. It occurs when the tissues around joints and other organs in the body becomes inflamed. This can cause severe pain and even immobility over time.
Time Frame
Alzheimer's disease is a side effect of the formation of plaques on brain cells. Over time, these plaques cause the brain cells to have trouble communicating with each other and finally kill them. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that can also last many years. It is an autoimmune disorder, which means that the patient's immune system is actually targeting his own body, causing the inflammation. Eventually, rheumatoid arthritis tends to cause severe functional immobility.
Identification
On the surface, the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and rheumatoid arthritis are not at all that dissimilar. Alzheimer's symptoms are typified by a marked difficulty completing routine tasks much as are the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. However, the reasons for the difficulties are different. Alzheimer's patients tend to have trouble stringing actions together, while rheumatoid arthritis patients simply have physical difficulty doing the tasks. Alzheimer's is also marked by serious memory loss, general confusion and increasing volatility. Rheumatoid arthritis tends to manifest itself in achy joints and muscles, lethargy and swelling in affected areas.
Prevention/Solution
While there is no cure for either disorder currently, there are some ways to treat both of these disorders. Early detection is key to living with Alzheimer's or rheumatoid arthritis effectively. Medications and accommodations for the disorders can add years and years to your productive life--and give science more time to find you a cure! Many medicines for both disorders are based around anti-inflammatory drugs that can prevent infections and inhibit the formation of problematic growths like plaques. This is why researchers believe that rheumatoid arthritis drugs might help treat Alzheimer's as well.
Theories/Speculation
Recently, a late-stage Alzheimer's patient showed marked improvement literally minutes after receiving an injection usually given to rheumatoid arthritis patients. The Australian drug, called Etanercept, was injected in the patient's spine. The improvement was largely cognitive, meaning that the patient was able to think, reason and interact more clearly with those around her. This is particularly exciting since most medicines used to treat advanced Alzheimer's patients often accomplish little more than making them more docile. Of course, this trial is far too limited to be conclusive. However, some doctors have admitted prescribing the drug "off-label" to Alzheimer's patients, and more research and trials are pending.
Warning
If you have Alzheimer's disease or know someone who does, make sure that you never change your medications without a doctor's approval. Alzheimer's is highly specific and individualized, so what works for one person can actually make another worse. Always work closely with a physician when dealing with any type of drug or treatment.
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