Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder that damages the brain cells. The presence of Alzheimer's disease to a person affects his or her ability to think, speak and do his normal activities.

It is a progressive disease as it worsens over time but the progressions of Alzheimer's disease vary from one patient to another. There are some people who may not attend to his normal activities on the early stage of the disease while there are some who have quick progression of the disease.

Generally, the brain is composed of a hundred billion nerve cells or neurons and this neurons act as transmitter and they are needed for thinking and remembering but with the presence of Alzheimer's disease, this neurons fail that is why patients find it harder to remember things.

The cause of Alzheimer's disease is the changes that take place in the brain particularly when one reaches old age. When someone ages, you may notice that they might slowed down when they think and find it harder to remember things, though this may be normal for the elders but if a serious memory loss is involved, it is recommended that a medical evaluation by a doctor should be done in order to rule out Alzheimer¡¯s disease.

The three risk factors of Alzheimer's disease are:

Age - the risk factor of developing Alzheimer's disease increase as you age. Accordingly, the possibility of developing this disease doubles for every five years after reaching 65 years of age while the possibility of developing it reaches to 50 % after reaching 85 years of age.
Family History - the risk factor of developing this disease is increased if a relative particularly if a mother or father had also developed Alzheimer's disease.
Genetics - Study shows that genetics plays an important role in Alzheimer's disease. An Alzheimer's risk gene called apolipoprotein E-e4 (APOE-e4) is often found in those who have Alzheimer's disease.

Other factors which may also affect Alzheimer's disease are:

Connection of heart and head - the presence of Alzheimer's disease is increased if there are damages in the blood vessels or in the heart.
Injury in the head - protect your head from injury to avoid risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in the latter years.
Healthy living - living a healthy living is very important in keeping your brain healthy. Likewise, avoid excessive alcohol and too much smoking.