Jun 11, 2026 · 36 min · 12 segments
Around 7.4 million Americans are living with a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s dementia — and as the population ages, that number is expected to rise. On this episode of Aging Forward, Dr. Heather…
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Can you help clarify to our listeners what is Alzheimer's disease, and how does that fit into the broader category of dementia?
It's the changes of memory, thinking, reasoning that are impacting an individual's daily life and ultimately their dependence.
Alzheimer's disease is specific brain changes, and it is the most common form of dementia.
Our brains are this complex organ that are made up of so many pieces and parts.
There are over a hundred billion nerve cells, and these brain cells have very specialized jobs that allow our brains to really function as this control center.
When we think about Alzheimer's disease, we see changes in the brain that begin long before we see the clinical symptoms, the changes in memory, thinking, and reasoning.
And if you look at the brain tissues of individuals with Alzheimer's, you see these clumps of proteins between the brain cells.
They're called plaques, and the primary component of those plaques is known as beta amyloid or amyloid beta.
Then if you look inside the brain cells, you see a clump of proteins, and they're called tangles or neurofibrillary tangles.
There's changes with the way blood flows in and around the brain and is bringing nutrients in, how our brain cells are then processing those nutrients for their food and energy sources as well, and how all of that is intersecting is what ultimately results in Alzheimer's dementia or mild cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's.
You see a loss of brain cells, and then you see the clinical symptoms that emerge that an individual experiences.
Can you help clarify to our listeners what is Alzheimer's disease, and how does that fit into the broader category of dementia?
It's the changes of memory, thinking, reasoning that are impacting an individual's daily life and ultimately their dependence.
Alzheimer's disease is specific brain changes, and it is the most common form of dementia.
Our brains are this complex organ that are made up of so many pieces and parts.
There are over a hundred billion nerve cells, and these brain cells have very specialized jobs that allow our brains to really function as this control center.
When we think about Alzheimer's disease, we see changes in the brain that begin long before we see the clinical symptoms, the changes in memory, thinking, and reasoning.
And if you look at the brain tissues of individuals with Alzheimer's, you see these clumps of proteins between the brain cells.
They're called plaques, and the primary component of those plaques is known as beta amyloid or amyloid beta.
Then if you look inside the brain cells, you see a clump of proteins, and they're called tangles or neurofibrillary tangles.
There's changes with the way blood flows in and around the brain and is bringing nutrients in, how our brain cells are then processing those nutrients for their food and energy sources as well, and how all of that is intersecting is what ultimately results in Alzheimer's dementia or mild cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's.
You see a loss of brain cells, and then you see the clinical symptoms that emerge that an individual experiences.
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