Nair Muralitharan
School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Hertfordshire.
Br J Nurs. 2006;15(5):258-62.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive, degenerative, debilitating illness that affects all races and both sexes. In 2002 the numbers of women over the age of 90 years with AD were higher compared with men of the same age group (Office for National Statistics (ONS), 2004). Although there are no data identifying the number of women suffering from AD compared with men, it could be concluded from these data (ONS, 2004) that more women than men suffer from AD. The number of individuals suffering from AD is increasing as people are living longer. Analysis of postmortem brain tissue in patients with AD has identified senile plaques in the hippocampal region, neurofibrillary tangles in the brain cells and also a decline in levels of acetylcholine in the brain. There is no known cure for the illness and therefore patients will ultimately require constant care in the community or in special units in residential homes. The National Service Framework for Long-Term Conditions (Department of Health, 2005) gives clear guidelines for healthcare providers in caring for these patients.
阿尔茨海默病（AD）是一种进行性、退行性、使人衰弱的疾病，影响所有种族和男女两性。2002年，90岁以上患AD的女性人数高于同年龄组的男性（国家统计局（ONS），2004年）。尽管没有数据表明患AD的女性与男性的具体人数，但从这些数据（ONS，2004年）可以推断，患AD的女性比男性多。随着人们寿命的延长，患AD的人数正在增加。对AD患者死后脑组织的分析发现，海马区有老年斑，脑细胞中有神经原纤维缠结，且大脑中乙酰胆碱水平下降。目前尚无已知的治愈方法，因此患者最终将需要在社区或养老院的特殊病房接受长期护理。《长期病症国家服务框架》（卫生部，2005年）为医疗保健提供者护理这些患者提供了明确的指导方针。
