Bücher von INGA ZERR

There is a wide scope of clinical phenomenology in Alzheimers disease, regarding the age of onset, presenting features, rate of progression and appearance of other clinical manifestation. Although clinical appearance and neuropathological hallmarks have been defining AD since its first description, major factors which trigger pathology are still unknown. The role of comorbidity is discussed controversially. Important environmental risk factors in AD development are continuous stress, low education and cardiovascular risk factors such as alcohol intake, smoking, hypertension. The role of lipids and cholesterol has been recognized, but the relevant pathogenetic steps are still to be identified. There is an urgent need to understand molecular disease pathogenesis in order to develop early therapeutic targets for the disease.

Alzheimer's dementia (AD) affects 6 million Europeans with 10% of people over age 65 and more than a quarter over 85. Given the steady aging of European societies, dementia and cognitive decline have developed into a major health problem with an enormous socioeconomic impact for patients, their families and caregivers, national health care systems, and society. Without any means to prevent or delay disease onset, the number of people with dementia is predicted to double by 2030 and triple by 2050. There is an urgent need for innovative strategies to increase understanding of pathological events that would translate into the development of successful prevention or, possibly, novel treatment strategies.Progresses in understanding pathological events in AD have been possible by using cell cultures, genetically modified organisms and animal models that lack the complexity of events occurring in humans. We need to overcome this limitation also by using data from humans - for studying pathological pathways in AD in a multidisciplinary setting.