Alvez Et Al., What Surprised

¶ … Alvez et al., what surprised me most was that cardiovascular conditions could also lead to dementia symptoms. What surprised me even more is that these conditions could be related to Alzheimer's disease as well. In the general, conventional wisdom, the two conditions could not be further apart, with the one being a heart condition and the other affecting mental health. The article therefore provides valuable research, not only in the field of dementia and is potential causes, but also in how some of these causes could be prevented. In a world and society where the population is increasingly aging, the reality is that an increasing number of people are succumbing to dementia, creating a burden for individuals, family, society, and the medical care system. If some causes could be eliminated, thousands of people could live a longer, more productive, and higher quality of life.

The article offers a very thorough literature review and identifies the factors most likely to be implicated in Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular related dementia, or a combination of the two. Potential risk factors include hypertension, diabetes, smoking, heart failure, hypercholesterolemia, plasma biomarkers, Arial fibrillation, coronary artery disease and cardiac surgery, and stroke. The literature review ends with a consideration of cardiac diseases as potential risk factors in developing dementia symptoms, as well as a section that focuses on mild cognitive impairment and its connection to vascular risk factors.

The literature review is graphically presented in a table that includes the studies done to focus on the specific risk factor and the outcomes of the studies involved. This presentation provides a valuable view of the outcomes of each study and how each risk factor compares with the others in terms of severity and likelihood to be implicated in developing dementia symptoms. In general, the literature discussion is thorough and critically sound. The specific shortcomings of each study are discussed with great care and attention to the detail involved in each piece of literature.

This is then followed by a discussion and recommendations for future study. The findings offers hope that there could be prevention measures to drastically reduce the likelihood of developing dementia symptoms when health factors are emphasized while risk factors are reduced. This has implications for the drive towards healthy aging that has become an increasing concern in society today.

One potential shortcoming of the article is its nature as a review article. There is therefore a specific lack of practical study to confirm the findings presented by the literature. Nevertheless, the research is highly valuable in terms of creating a premise for future studies of this kind, where practical information can be gathered to confirm the literature outcomes. Ultimately, the article could be the basis of many effective measures to prevent the burden that dementia has become for individuals with the condition and those who are obliged to care for them. There is a significant lack of focus on the shortcomings of the article. Nevertheless, the conclusions of the review are clearly and thoroughly presented.