Alzheimer’s disease is caused by aging
Fake.
If the frequency of this disease increases with age, it is not the consequence of normal aging. It is an abnormal degeneration whose first signs appear on average around 70 years. The disease gradually destroys the entire cerebral cortex and the associated functions (memory, relationships with others, intellectual faculties). The lesions are much greater than the alterations linked to mere aging.
>> Also discover our special file: Understanding Alzheimer’s disease: what loved ones should know
Alzheimer’s disease can be detected with a genetic test
Fake... most of the time.
There are two forms of the disease. That, late, which appears after 65 years, affects more than 90% of patients. It is thought that a certain genetic vulnerability to certain environmental factors is possible: not everyone reacts in the same way to toxic products, for example. But it is currently impossible to detect this form of the disease with a genetic test.
The family form, on the other hand, can be tested. It represents only 10% of cases and can appear from the age of 30. If one of the parents is affected, the child has a 50% risk of developing the disease. Three genes responsible for this familial, early and hereditary form have been identified.
>> To read also: Alzheimer’s: tranquilizers and sleeping pills, risk factors?
Alzheimer’s: forgetting names and dates is a warning sign
Fake.
With age, moderate memory impairment is normal. Isolated, it is not a symptom of the disease. On the other hand, if the memory of recent events is frequently deficient, if confusion in the names of objects or people is repeated, if difficulties appear in managing money appear… then it is necessary to consult. “Memory” consultations have been set up in most hospitals to detect the disease at an early stage.
>> To read also: Memory lapses: eating fish is really useless?
Alzheimer’s disease makes you aggressive
Fake
Aggression, sometimes accompanied by violence, generally appears at a very advanced stage. It is therefore more a consequence of the patient’s feeling of isolation and incomprehension than a symptom of the condition as such.
>> To read also: our special file: Alzheimer’s disease, signs, treatments and progress
