What is Alzheimer's disease?

Alzheimer's disease is accurately described as a progressive, degenerative brain disease. This means that it involves a gradual deterioration of brain function over time, ultimately impacting various cognitive abilities, including memory, thinking, and behavior. Unlike a temporary mental condition, which does not involve permanent changes to brain health, Alzheimer's leads to irreversible damage and worsening symptoms as it advances.

While Alzheimer's does affect memory significantly—particularly impacting short-term memory and the ability to retain new information—it's incorrect to say it only affects memory. The disease also affects language skills, reasoning, and the ability to perform everyday tasks, demonstrating a broad spectrum of cognitive impairment.

Additionally, it is true that Alzheimer's disease predominantly affects older adults; however, it does not exclusively affect this demographic. There are cases of early-onset Alzheimer's that can occur in individuals much younger than 65. Therefore, simply describing the disease as one that primarily affects the elderly would be an oversimplification of its impact and the characteristics of the condition.