AD: A Look at the DiseaseUnderlying Problem Despite being known for over a hundred years, the cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is still not fully understood. This terminal disease affects around 800,000 people in the UK and the number of cases is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. AD has proven to be a difficult disease to understand; However, it is more important than ever to continue AD research in an effort to find a cure for the many people and family members affected by this disease. Purpose Since 1907, when Alois Alzheimer characterized AD, many hypotheses and theories have been developed. However, there has been little progress toward understanding the pathophysiology that could lead to a cure. Yaso Shan's Treatment of AD attempts to explain why AD has been so challenging to scientists, current theories and etiology, and why finding a cure has been so difficult. This article was directed to advance the knowledge of healthcare professionals so that they can provide better care to their patients and families. The reason I chose to conduct research on AD is its prevalence in patients and the challenging nature of treatment. My goal in researching this article is to gain a better understanding of the disease in order to provide a higher level of care. Pathophysiology of the disease process AD is characterized by the loss of neurons in the hippocampus and cerebrocortical areas of the brain. The physical findings of a patient with AD include amyloid plaques that build up on the outside of neurons and neurofibrillary tangles that are found inside neurons. The specific amyloid protein present in AD is amyloid-beta peptide. The clinical manifestations of AD are directly… the focus of the document… example: AD is the most common form of dementia and will affect memory. , thought, language, attention, perception, consciousness and personality. Normally the disease progresses gradually until basic life functions, such as breathing, are affected. The severity of the disease is a difficult but important issue to discuss. The patient and family must know that the disease is not curable. Treatment options would be another topic to discuss. There are drug therapy options that can help slow the disease process and improve symptoms. The two main options used today are cholinesterase inhibitors and NMDA receptor antagonists. Other teachings for the patient and family should include risk factors that increase and decrease risk. References Shan, Y. (2013). Treatment of AD. Primary healthcare, 23(6), 32-38.