Advances in Alzheimer's Dementia: An update for clinicians

Alzheimer's Disease is the most prevalent cause of neurodegenerative disease accounting for 60-80% of dementia cases. With an aging population, the prevalence of AD is projected to reach 12.7 million. AD is a progressive disease and pathological changes starting sometimes decades before symptoms. AD involves the accumulation of extra-cellular beta amyloid plaques and intracellular tau protein tangles leading to neuronal dysfunction and degeneration. Interestingly, socioeconomic disparities in the US lead to missed diagnosis especially in the underrepresented racial and ethnic groups such as the Black and Hispanic Americans, who are more likely to have AD. Women are disproportionately affected by the disease, as they represent higher number of patients and caregivers. Geographical disparities have key implications towards access of care and clinical outcomes.