ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
An estimated 5.2 million Americans currently are afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease, usually called AD. Age is the highest risk factor. From studies conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention we learn that AD is now the sixth leading cause of death in this country, but it leaps to fifth place for those who have already reached the age of sixty-five. By age eight-five an estimated thirty-two percent of Americans have contracted full-blown AD. Women are at far greater risk since they outlive men by a notable margin. In a truly terrifying statistic, we learn that two out of every three Americans who have the disease are women. A huge national survey found that AD was second only to cancer as this country’s …show more content…
At almost the same time in history, Ernst Leitz and Carl Zeiss had just invented the first distortion-free microscope, thereby establishing a standard in optics that still exists today. In another fortuitous development, Franz Nissl had revolutionized tissue staining. This made various cell constituents stand out. It also opened up an entirely new era in the study of brain cells and tissues. Doctor Alzheimer was now able to peer into this new state of the art microscope and at a magnification of several hundred times saw Frau Auguste D’s brain and her disease. To the doctor it looked like measles or chicken pox of the brain. It was sprinkled with crusty brown clumps, which he called plaques. These were nestled in among the neurons in her brain. He also found a tangled bundle of fibrils, like stands of rope bundled densely together. He called these tangles, terminology still in use today. Frau Auguste D’s brain had strangled by an odious pair of unwelcome, malignant …show more content…
Your relationships play a vital role in your health and sense of well-being. In a survey conducted by the National Council on aging, nearly ninety percent of the respondents thought that having close relationships with family and friends was very important in maintaining a vital and meaningful life. It ranked above a number of other factors, including health. Throughout live, strong family ties and good friendships contribute to mental and emotional well-being. Studies also show that people who enjoy social support, strong relationships with family and friends, tend not only to have better health but live longer. Increasing evidence suggests that physical factors such a blood cholesterol levels, heart rate, blood pressure and your immune system are affected by various factors, including your attitude and relationships. Whereas social isolation can contribute to illness and poor health, having strong connections with the outside world appears to reap many rewards. More than a dozen studies link social support with a lower risk of early death. In one huge study of nearly 7,000 people, it was found that those who lacked social connections were two to three times as likely to die younger that were their more socially connected
An estimated 5.2 million Americans currently are afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease, usually called AD. Age is the highest risk factor. From studies conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention we learn that AD is now the sixth leading cause of death in this country, but it leaps to fifth place for those who have already reached the age of sixty-five. By age eight-five an estimated thirty-two percent of Americans have contracted full-blown AD. Women are at far greater risk since they outlive men by a notable margin. In a truly terrifying statistic, we learn that two out of every three Americans who have the disease are women. A huge national survey found that AD was second only to cancer as this country’s …show more content…
At almost the same time in history, Ernst Leitz and Carl Zeiss had just invented the first distortion-free microscope, thereby establishing a standard in optics that still exists today. In another fortuitous development, Franz Nissl had revolutionized tissue staining. This made various cell constituents stand out. It also opened up an entirely new era in the study of brain cells and tissues. Doctor Alzheimer was now able to peer into this new state of the art microscope and at a magnification of several hundred times saw Frau Auguste D’s brain and her disease. To the doctor it looked like measles or chicken pox of the brain. It was sprinkled with crusty brown clumps, which he called plaques. These were nestled in among the neurons in her brain. He also found a tangled bundle of fibrils, like stands of rope bundled densely together. He called these tangles, terminology still in use today. Frau Auguste D’s brain had strangled by an odious pair of unwelcome, malignant …show more content…
Your relationships play a vital role in your health and sense of well-being. In a survey conducted by the National Council on aging, nearly ninety percent of the respondents thought that having close relationships with family and friends was very important in maintaining a vital and meaningful life. It ranked above a number of other factors, including health. Throughout live, strong family ties and good friendships contribute to mental and emotional well-being. Studies also show that people who enjoy social support, strong relationships with family and friends, tend not only to have better health but live longer. Increasing evidence suggests that physical factors such a blood cholesterol levels, heart rate, blood pressure and your immune system are affected by various factors, including your attitude and relationships. Whereas social isolation can contribute to illness and poor health, having strong connections with the outside world appears to reap many rewards. More than a dozen studies link social support with a lower risk of early death. In one huge study of nearly 7,000 people, it was found that those who lacked social connections were two to three times as likely to die younger that were their more socially connected