Alzheimer's disease

noun

Alz·​hei·​mer's disease ˈälts-ˌhī-mərz-  ˈalts-  ˈȯlts- 

variants or less commonly Alzheimer disease

ˈälts-ˌhī-mər- 

ˈalts-,

ˈȯlts-

or Alzheimer's

: a degenerative brain disease of unknown cause that is the most common form of dementia, that usually starts in late middle age or in old age, that results in progressive memory loss, impaired thinking, disorientation, and changes in personality and mood, and that is marked histologically by the degeneration of brain neurons especially in the cerebral cortex and by the presence of neurofibrillary tangles and plaques containing beta-amyloid

Behavioral problems, such as mood swings and agitation, may also be a part of the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

—Allan Perel

… the ability to differentiate normal aging-related memory changes from the impairments associated with dementia, including Alzheimer disease …

—C. Munro Cullum

… researchers in California have created mice carrying the gene for beta-amyloid protein, the principal component of the plaques riddling the brains of people with Alzheimer's.

—Charlene Crabb

Note: Alzheimer's is often used before another noun.

Alzheimer's patients

—abbreviation AD

Examples of Alzheimer's disease in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2021, Girardi was diagnosed with dementia and late-onset Alzheimer's disease and disbarred. —Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 14 Sep. 2023

In March 2021, he was diagnosed with dementia and late-onset Alzheimer's disease and was later moved into an assisted living home. —Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 23 Aug. 2023

Here's a quick look at the seven stages of Alzheimer's disease progression. —Mark Gurarie, Health, 19 Aug. 2023

In addition to Alzheimer's disease, delta 8 has shown potential in managing symptoms associated with other neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 16 Aug. 2023

Five months before his arrest, Rothman had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. —Jessica Wapner, Scientific American, 15 Aug. 2023

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are 5.8 million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia. —Gabrielle M. Etzel, Washington Examiner, 14 Aug. 2023

Nearly 188,000 dementia cases in the U.S. each year may have been caused by air pollution, researchers estimate, with bad air quality from wildfires and agriculture showing the strongest links to a person's risk of Alzheimer's disease and other kinds of dementia later in life. —Alexander Tin, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2023

It was later discovered the actor had Lewy body dementia, the second-most common type of progressive dementia after Alzheimer's disease. —Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 13 Aug. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Alois Alzheimer †1915 German physician

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

Alzheimer's disease

noun

Alz·​hei·​mer's disease ˈälts-ˌhī-mərz  ˈalts- 

: a brain disease of later life that is characterized by changes in brain tissue with gradual loss of memory and mental abilities

called also Alzheimer's

Medical Definition

Alzheimer's disease

noun

Alz·​hei·​mer's disease ˈälts-ˌhī-mərz-  ˈȯlts-  ˈalts-  ˈalz- 

variants also Alzheimer disease

-mər 

or Alzheimer's

: a degenerative brain disease of unknown cause that is the most common form of dementia, that usually starts in late middle age or in old age, that results in progressive memory loss, impaired thinking, disorientation, and changes in personality and mood, that leads in advanced cases to a profound decline in cognitive and physical functioning, and that is marked histologically by the degeneration of brain neurons especially in the cerebral cortex and by the presence of neurofibrillary tangles and plaques containing beta-amyloid

Behavioral problems, such as mood swings and agitation, may also be a part of the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

—Allan Perel, The Staten Island (New York) Advance

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, affecting more than 15 million individuals worldwide.

—Niklas Mattsson et al., The Journal of the American Medical Association

… researchers in California have created mice carrying the gene for beta-amyloid protein, the principal component of the plaques riddling the brains of people with Alzheimer's.

—Charlene Crabb, U.S. News & World Report

—abbreviation AD