The Associations Between Pre-existing Conditions and the Development of Alzheimer’s Disease: Does the Existence and Treatment of Hypertension and Depression Affect Alzheimer’s?
LAU, Anna
DOI: http://doi.org/10.34614/2022IYRC36
Category: STEM
Abstract – Alzheimer's disease is a form of dementia that affects over 5 million Americans annually, and is one of the most prevalent causes of premature deaths in the U.S. The disease is progressive, beginning with memory loss and leading to the inability to respond to one’s environment. The elderly are most at risk. As a person ages, their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease increases significantly (CDC 2020). Given the prevalence and disastrous ramifications of these diseases, there is an increasingly urgent need to illuminate associations between these pre-existing conditions and Alzheimer’s. Methods of treatment must also be considered. Although there is no extant literature on a cure for Alzheimer's, intervention can still be effective in alleviating the symptoms and nature of Alzheimer’s in the elderly. The present systematic review examines the associations between hypertension, depression, and Alzheimer's disease in the elderly, as well the effects of treatment of these conditions on patients.