Universal Outbreaks That Changed History

24. Alzheimer’s disease

Medical practitioners as far back as Hippocrates associated an increase in dementia with aging. Not until 1906 was a study of the disease reported, by psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer, in Germany. His report followed the course of the disease over the last five years of a patient’s life. He named the disease after himself. Through most of the remaining 20^th century, a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s was reserved for those over the age of 45 who exhibited the symptoms. By the end of the century, the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s extended to all who presented the symptoms regardless of age. The disease is present across the globe, with no cure, and little in the way of treatment to arrest its course.

It became one of the most costly diseases in developed countries. Social, psychological, and economical aspects of the disease affected, and continues to affect, societies at large. Burdens upon caregivers, often family members, can be measured emotionally and financially. Often caregivers require ongoing psychological care themselves. Despite extensive research, the causes of Alzheimer’s remained elusive in the 21^st century. In 2015, nearly 30 million people around the world were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and 1.9 million died. The number of undiagnosed sufferers of the disease can only be imagined, and the pandemic is expected to continue to grow with the aging of societies in the developed nations of the world.