Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia — a brain condition that affects the brain’s control of thought, memory and language. Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias can severely impact a person’s ability to carry out daily activities, because they affect memory and interfere with day-to-day living.

The vast majority of people living with Alzheimer’s disease are 65 and older. Although it’s rare, people younger than 65 can develop the disease.

I can’t stress enough the role of family, friends and caregivers in the care and treatment of an Alzheimer’s patient. A core of support is integral to the successful treatment of someone with the disease. It’s gratifying to me when family members or good friends take an active role in caring for the patient — helping her remember her medicine, or assisting with meals, bedtime and other daily activities.

Each person may be a little different, but typically, a doctor first conducts a detailed patient history, asking about medical conditions and family history, emotional condition, living conditions, and details about the evolution of the symptoms. Sometimes a physician will speak with the patient’s family to gain insights into personality, memory or other issues.

Next is a physical examination followed by lab tests to rule out or identify complicating factors. The doctor likely will conduct memory or neuropsychological testing such as the most common — Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE). These include a series of questions to evaluate the patient’s mental status. Diagnoses also may include MRI and CT scans to rule out other conditions that may simulate dementia. On occasion, studies such as spinal fluid and PET imaging may offer additional information.

Everyone’s brain changes with age, and that’s a normal part of getting older. But it’s important to distinguish Alzheimer’s disease from a normal aging process. It is normal for older folks to occasionally forget stories or names but there are signs that someone may be entering the early stages of the disease if it’s more than simple occasional forgetfulness.

Unfortunately, there is not a pill or vaccine to prevent this disease, but again, there is significant ongoing research. This is not to say that there are not things that we can do to help, including medications to help with symptoms, social interventions, lifestyle modifications, managing and aligning expectations, assessment of safety, and family/caregiver education. These all may have a direct impact on quality of life.

First, I’d say to look for things that are out of character for the individual. If the individual has always been a bit forgetful, misplacing items around the house, for example, I wouldn’t be alarmed. But if your loved one is leaving keys in the refrigerator or getting lost in familiar settings, this would be something to make note of. Family members and caregivers should also look for confusion around money issues or paying bills, repeating questions, mood changes or poor decision-making.

Frankly, we don’t know what causes this disease, but like other chronic conditions, it may be more than one factor. There’s a tremendous amount of research on Alzheimer’s and other dementias being conducted by public and private institutions. We are attentive to the potential for a hereditary link, and it raises our vigilance when a family member already has the disease, especially if they acquired it earlier in life.

Lifestyle choices may help reduce the chances of getting the disease or minimizing its symptoms. I stress the importance of controlling blood pressure and getting regular exercise. Even a short walk every day has benefits and gets our blood circulating, and at the same time, minimizes bad cholesterol and the potential for diabetes. Social engagement is also important. It’s basically all the things we know we’re supposed to do.

Many people believe that if someone can remember an occurrence from long ago, everything is fine. In cases where individuals may have Alzheimer’s, they may not remember what they ate for breakfast. That may not seem important but doubling up on medication because they did not remember they took them is a problem.

With Alzheimer’s, the brain’s circuitry is interrupted and doesn’t allow one to retrieve a recent memory. Long-term experience, on the other hand, is stored in our brains, and that’s why someone with Alzheimer’s may remember experiences from high school but is unable to remember activities from earlier in the day. In a sense, these are learning disabilities — initially affecting short-term memory — that families and caregivers should recognize.

I’ll share a quick story. I remember a brilliant college history professor who was writing two books — at the same time — on World War II. He wrote beautifully from “old memory” but he had trouble recalling activities from earlier in the day.