Alzheimer's Disease
About 2 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease. Approximately 10% of all people over the age of 65 and as many as 50% of those over the age of 85 are diagnosed with the condition.

Alzheimer's is a degenerative brain disease, generally progressing from mild to moderate to severe. Starting with gradual, slight memory loss and confusion, it eventually leads to severe, irreversible mental impairment that destroys a person's ability to remember, reason, learn and imagine.

The condition predominantly affects the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, which lose mass and shrink (atrophy) as the disease advances. The hippocampus is the portion of the temporal lobe associated with memory and navigation.

The course the disease takes and how rapidly changes occur varies from person to person. For some, the progression from simple forgetfulness to severe dementia takes five years. For others, it can take a decade or longer.

People with mild Alzheimer's can usually live alone and function fairly well. Persons with moderate Alzheimer's may have greater difficulty coping without supervision. People with advanced Alzheimer's usually cannot care for themselves.