Context:
An experimental Alzheimer’s drug aimed at slowing or preventing cognitive decline in people has failed a clinical trial leading a blow to efforts to find a solution to fight back against the neurodegenerative disease.
Relevance:
GS III- Science and technology
Alzheimer’s Disease
- Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and gradually worsens over time.
- It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia.
- The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events.
- The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is poorly understood, about 70% of the risk is believed to be inherited from a person’s parents, with many genes usually involved.
- Other risk factors include a history of head injuries, depression, and hypertension.
- No treatments stop or reverse its progression, though some may temporarily improve symptoms.
