Alzheimer’s and Evolution

When considering the evolutionary consequences of Alzheimer’s disease it would be vital to know the exact age of the disease and how long it has shown prevalence among our species. Also noting the genetic factors, if any,that may link the disease prevalence to specific genotypes would provide information useful to the treatment of the disease. Understanding the consequences of environmental factors that contribute to disease development could also provide valuable data on developmental patterns and associations. If a mutation could be found that was linked to Alzheimer’s development, treatment could be done through the use of gene therapy. Finally, interpreting the development of the brain may also provide useful insight into discovering the chemical contribution to the progression of the disease.

Since Alzheimer’s effects the elderly it could be assumed that a change in brain chemistry is to blame for the disease development. The effect of protein miscoding in the brain causes the symptom of memory loss which can slowly progress until death. If we understood how this mechanism evolved we could better treat and screen for the development of Alzheimer’s disease in patients. The effects of the disease are crippling to personal function and individuality. Because of the extremely personal situation involved in the development of this ailment, more information and statistics on diagnosis rates should be available to the public.

Why would it be important for a doctor, a nurse like Kathy, or someone in Susan's position to know about evolution?
It is important for someone in the medical field to know about evolution because evolution is the basic foundation through which we understand biology. Biology is the study of life and all things related, including medicine. To have a really strong understanding of medicine you have to know how that medicine has evolved over the years. A nurse would benefit from understanding why a drug worked or did not work, and know what the particular drug was tested for and what it is actually is used for. Evolution is also important to considered when thinking about how a bacteria has evolved over the years to form a resistances to a certain medicine. Knowing that mutation and natural selection has allowed this bacteria to form a resistance will help in understanding how to create another medicine.