title: Alzheimer Disease and Its Growing Epidemic: Risk Factors, Biomarkers, and the Urgent Need for Therapeutics.
abstract: Alzheimer disease (AD) represents one of the greatest medical challenges of this century; the condition is becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide and no effective treatments have been developed for this terminal disease. Because the disease manifests at a late stage after a long period of clinically silent neurodegeneration, knowledge of the modifiable risk factors and the implementation of biomarkers is crucial in the primary prevention of the disease and presymptomatic detection of AD, respectively. This article discusses the growing epidemic of AD and antecedent risk factors in the disease process. Disease biomarkers are discussed, and the implications that this may have for the treatment of this currently incurable disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, Alexandria ERSP, 450 East 29th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hickman
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The Center for Cognitive Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, Alexandria ERSP, 450 East 29th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Neurology, The Center for Cognitive Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, Alexandria ERSP, 450 East 29th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: Arline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faustin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The Center for Cognitive Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, Alexandria ERSP, 450 East 29th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Neurology, The Center for Cognitive Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, Alexandria ERSP, 450 East 29th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Psychiatry, The Center for Cognitive Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, Alexandria ERSP, 450 East 29th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA. Electronic address: Thomas.wisniewski@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wisniewski
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D058872:Epidemics; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Alzheimer disease; Biomarkers; Epidemiology; Risk factors