People with Alzheimer’s experience difficulties communicating, learning, thinking and reasoning. Today it is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Alzheimer’s is on the increase compared to other major leading causes of death.

Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder named for German physician Alois Alzheimer, who first described it in 1906. Scientists have learned a great deal about Alzheimer’s disease in the century since Dr. Alzheimer first drew attention to it.
A progressive and fatal brain disease

As many as 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer's destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior severe enough to affect quality of lifestyle. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time, and it is fatal.
The most common form of dementia

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia among older people. Alzheimer's disease involves a loss of nerve cells in the areas of the brain vital to memory and other mental functions.
There is currently no cure

But treatments for symptoms, combined with the right services and support, can make life better for the millions of Americans living with Alzheimer’s. Problems with memory, thinking and concentration may begin to appear in a doctor’s interview or medical tests.