With an aging global population, it is not surprising the focus of attention has been placed squarely on the shoulders of Alzheimer's disease; being the most common progressive degenerative disorder makes it especially noteworthy. Alzheimer's disease gradually causes deterioration in the memory and is currently affecting one in ten of people aged 65 and over; diagnosis is improving with an accuracy of between 87 and 94 percent. Although discovered just over a century ago by Alois Alzheimer, it is only during the last 30 years that research into this disease has increased; it is a complex disease that is not yet fully understood.Studies into the disorder have shown you have a grater chance of acquiring Alzheimer's the older you become. Often, a person experiencing their first signs of Alzheimer's is unable or unwilling to admit it to themselves or anyone else; this often cause delays in the diagnosis.At the moment all forms of dementia treatment are pretty much the same and that includes Alzheimer's disease. Stalling the progression and possibly improving the condition is about the best that can currently be achieved with drugs but no definitive treatment has yet been discovered. Most Alzheimer's disease sufferers will be prescribed one of the following drugs Donepezil, Tacrine, and Rivastigmine; they can improve the mental faculties of patients with this condition by up to 26 weeks.Another drug, Memantine, a relative of the older anti-influenza drug Amantadine, is proving successful at slowing down the mental decline of sufferers; it is now normally given to those on Donepezil who are suffering moderate to severe Alzheimer's. Memantine is the first medicine to show such positive results with sufferers with few problems associated with its use; as 80 percent of the drug is passed in urine unchanged there is very little left to cause any harm. Studies and information of these drugs are also included in Caribbean medical school rankings .Because people are living longer Alzheimer's disease has become a serious health problem that governments must face; in the United States it is fourth in the list of fatal diseases. There is also an economic aspect of caring for patients to consider, something that will affect governments everywhere; it is already costing 40 billion dollars every year in the USA, with this figure expected to increase. Another large body, the National Institute on Aging spent almost half of its yearly research fund into the condition; currently there are over 300 different compounds at various stages of development for its treatment.Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is one proven method you can use to reduce the risks of contracting dementia. Although not full proven yet, researchers studying Alzheimer's patients have noticed that those who stay healthy and cheerful have slowed down the rate of decline. At the moment, the disease is still primarily affecting the aged; unfortunately it has started to claim the occasional younger victim.