It is a neurological disease which affects the brain causing irreversible dementia (decline in mental functioning).
At the present time there is no single test that can determine whether a person has Alzheimers disease.
The only definitive answer for diagnosis is available with a brain biopsy or autopsy.
It generally affects people over 65 years of age.
You are more likely to get it if there is a family history of the disease. In 5-10 per cent of all cases the disease is known to be entirely inherited.
It affects both men and women but women are more affected than men.
It is estimated that 43,000 people in B.C. suffer from some form of irreversible dementia. Of those 64 per cent have Alzheimers disease.
By 2031 it is estimated that 750,000 will have some form of dementia, and 95,000 of those will live in B.C.
At the present time the cause of the disease is unknown and there is no cure.