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1
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and COVID-19
Samantha Ortiz
Dr. Sharon Brown
BIOL 301 6980 Human Health and Disease
July 18, 2023
2
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and COVID-19
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), also sometimes referred to as chronic illnesses,
contribute to most deaths across the globe. They account for almost 74% of all deaths
worldwide, according to the WHO (n.d.). This comprises over 15 million persons aged between
30-69b years who die prematurely annually from a common NCD, with 85% of these mortalities
taking place in nations that are underdeveloped and high number of low earners. On the other
hand, communicable diseases (CDs) such as HIV/AIDS also contribute to increased mortality
and disability in most nations, especially low-income ones and marginalized populations. The
justification for this paper is based on the fact that NCDs and CDs continue to be a significant
global public health concern, associated with increased mortality rates. In addition to the
increased mortality rates and suffering brought by these diseases they also prevent economic and
social development as well as pose substantial threats to global health security, as is illustrated
by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, this paper will provide an in-depth analysis of
NCDs and CDs by focusing on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and COVID-19 respectively.
Resource Evaluation
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)
AD
Etiology
Resource 1
(Yiengprugsawan &
Browning, 2019)
AD is a NCD because it
cannot be transmitted
directly from one
individual to another.
Risk Factors
•
•
•
Natural aging
processes
Diabetes
Smoking and alcohol
consumption
Resource 2 (Mayo
Clinic, 2023)
AD is not contagious as
it is caused by brain
defects and an
individual cannot catch
the health condition
from other people.
• Advancing age
• Genetics and family
history (Mayo
Clinic, 2023))
• Mild cognitive
Resource 3
(Bhattacharya et al.,
2023)
AD is a cognitive
disorder and the
likelihood of developing
this disorder increases
with age.
•
•
Older age
Comorbidities such
as obesity, diabetes,
and hypertension
(Bhattacharya et al.,
3
•
•
Prevalence
(Yiengprugsawan &
Browning, 2019)
Mid-life hypertension
Physical inactivity
This disorder mainly
affects older persons aged
above 60 years.
Its prevalence is
approximately 14.7%
within the study
population
(Yiengprugsawan &
Browning, 2019).
impairment
• Down syndrome
(Mayo Clinic,
2023))
• Excessive
consumption of
alcohol.
• Head trauma
• Poor sleep patterns
• Lifestyles such as
lack of exercise and
smoking
Around 6.5 million
older persons in the U.S.
have AD (Mayo Clinic,
2023).
2023)
Tobacco and alcohol
usage
Physical inactivity
(Bhattacharya et al.,
2023)
•
•
Approximately 40 to 50
million people suffer
from AD worldwide.
In the study population,
AD prevalence was 0.62
among adults aged 55
years and above
(Bhattacharya et al.,
2023).
COVID-19
Covid-19
Resource 1 (CDC,
2023)
Resource 2 (Rauf et
al., 2020)
Etiology
COVID-19 is
instigated by the
SARS-COV-2 virus.
This CD is very
contagious and has
the potential to spread
quickly by making
contact with infected
persons and by
breathing particles
and droplets released
by an infected
individual.
• Older age
• Individuals with
weak immune
systems (CDC,
2023)
• Persons with
This health condition
is caused by the
SARS-CoV-2 virus
which is classified
under betacoronavirus.
This disease’s
transmission is
primarily by personto-person via sneezing
and coughing, among
other modes (Rauf et
al., 2020).
• The presence of
•
acute respiratory
•
distress syndrome
(ARDS) (Rauf et
al., 2020)
• Interacting with
Risk Factors
Resource 3
(Ahrenfeldt et al.,
2021)
The ailment is
triggered by the
SARS-CoV-2 virus
and the manner of
transmission is
droplets.
Old age
Individuals who
have underlying
medical issues
such as heart
illness (Ahrenfeldt
4
Prevalence
disabilities or
underlying health
problems
Over 1 million deaths
have been reported in
the U.S. (CDC, 2023).
symptomatic
persons
Over 44 million cases
have been reported in
over 200 countries
with an estimated 1.1
million deaths (Rauf
et al., 2020).
•
et al., 2021)
Male sex
Approximately 70
million men and 60
million women had a
minimum of one
severe COVID-19 risk
factor (Ahrenfeldt et
al., 2021).
Around 43 million
women and 35 million
women had a
minimum of two
factors linked with
COVID-19
(Ahrenfeldt et al.,
2021).
Summary
AD and COVID-19 are among the top public health threats for various reasons. One of
these reasons is their potential to increase mortality rates. According to the information I’ve
gathered from my sources, these diseases have caused a sizable number of fatalities in recent
years. This is why they, in my opinion, pose a new threat to the world’s health. For instance,
according to the CDC (2023), COVID-19 has so far caused approximately over 1 million deaths
in the U.S. alone. The threat posed by this CD cannot be underestimated given its contagious
nature, which allows it to infect additional people.
Also, I believe AD and COVID-19 are among the leading public health threats because of
the high social and economic burdens associated with them. Currently, these diseases are linked
with a high burden among working people. This is because they lead to increased healthcare
costs and financial insecurity, and at the same time, limit the capacity of those affected to work.
For instance, according to Mayo Clinic (2023), AD affects roughly 6.5 million individuals in the
5
U.S. This means these individuals have difficulties planning and completing routine activities as
the disorder is associated with memory loss. Over time, this condition hampers a person’s
capability to function at home or work.
Additionally, AD and COVID-19 pose a substantial public health threat because their risk
factors increase a person’s probability of death or hospitalization. From my perspective these
diseases have the potential to influence vulnerability to illness, the effectiveness of pathogens,
and the capacity of health system to mitigate health risks. The increased prevalence of these
diseases makes nations and their healthcare systems less able to manage outbreaks and other
emergencies because they aggravate poverty, hinder economic development, and burden weak
health systems.
6
References
Ahrenfeldt, L. J., Nielsen, C. R., Möller, S., Christensen, K., & Lindahl-Jacobsen, R. (2021).
Burden and prevalence of risk factors for severe COVID-19 in the ageing European
population–a SHARE-based analysis. Journal of Public Health, 1-10.
https://doi.org/10.21203%2Frs.3.rs-73657%2Fv1
Bhattacharya, S., Heidler, P., & Varshney, S. (2023). Incorporating neglected non-communicable
diseases into the national health program—A review. Frontiers in public health, 10,
1093170. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1093170
CDC. (2023). About COVID-19. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/about-covid-19.html
Mayo Clinic. (2023, February 2). Alzheimer’s disease. Mayo Clinic.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/symptomscauses/syc-20350447
Rauf, A., Abu-Izneid, T., Olatunde, A., Ahmed Khalil, A., Alhumaydhi, F. A., Tufail, T., … &
Rengasamy, K. R. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic: epidemiology, etiology, conventional
and non-conventional therapies. International journal of environmental research and
public health, 17(21), 8155. https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fijerph17218155
WHO. (n.d.). Communicable and noncommunicable diseases, and mental health. World Health
Organization. https://www.who.int/our-work/communicable-and-noncommunicablediseases-and-mental-health
Yiengprugsawan, V. S., & Browning, C. J. (2019). Non-communicable diseases and cognitive
impairment: Pathways and shared Behavioral risk factors among older Chinese. Frontiers
in public health, 7, 296. https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffpubh.2019.00296
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