“A Degenerative Disorder is one in which the brain and nerve cells gradually deteriorate, causing declines in mental and/or physical functioning. Patients may experience major memory loss and changes in personality or behavior, or they may suffer from problems with movement, balance, speech, and muscle weakness.” [1]
Risk factors
“What are the general risk factors for degenerative diseases?
Aging is one of the common risk factors for many degenerative diseases. It entails diverse biological changes.
At the cellular level, a cell is aging when it loses its ability to divide and remain metabolically active.
At the tissue and organ level, an aged biological structure is one that eventually wears off. Their structure and function are no longer as potent as they were when they were young.
This is often attributed to the genetic changes inside the cell, particularly the shortening of the telomeres. Deterioration over time can occur as a result of telomere degeneration. Consequently, the cell loses its ability to function upon reaching a certain point. When several cells lose their capacity to divide and function effectively, the body would, therefore, be impaired. The disease manifests as symptoms appear.
Apart from natural degenerative changes caused by DNA damage accumulation from aging, the body may also be susceptible when exposed to many stressors, e.g. oxidative stress.
Mitochondrial DNA mutations are also an important risk factor.” [2]
Neurodegenerative disorders include:
- “Alzheimer’s disease and other memory disorders
- Ataxia
- Huntington’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Motor neuron disease
- Multiple system atrophy
- Progressive supranuclear palsy” [3]
Symptoms of Neurodegenerative Disorders
“With their progression, these disorders can affect every aspect of a person’s life, such as:
- Mobility and balance
- Abnormal movements
- Swallowing
- Bladder and bowel function
- Blood pressure fluctuation
- Sleep
- Breathing
- Heart function
- Memory and cognitive abilities
- Mood
- Speech” [3]
Treatment/Strategies for Degenerative Disorder
“Neurodegenerative diseases are horrible illnesses to have, and there is currently no cure; however, researchers around the world are looking into ways to help people with these diseases. One of the most exciting treatments uses stem cells to replace the neurons that have died. With so many brilliant minds working on a cure, hopefully there will soon be help for people with these diseases!” [4]
6 Effective Ways to Prevent Degenerative Diseases
“Your health is influenced by viruses and bacteria, your genes and your environment – which are not all within your control. But lifestyle factors also play an important role in developing and preventing illness. Have a look at some simple steps you can take to significantly improve your health and prevention of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other age-related disease.
- Reach and Keep a Health Weight
- Begin a Regular Exercise Program
- Improve Your Diet
- Have Your Body Antioxidant Level Scanned
- Take Dietary Supplements
- Take Genetic Expression Supplements” [5]
IDD People with Degenerative Diseases
People with intellectual disabilities (ID) age faster and have a higher prevalence of degenerative diseases.
“Individuals with developmental disabilities (DD) are at a greater risk for the full range of psychiatric diagnoses, and specific genetic etiologies confer an increased risk for specific mental health issues, related in part to the higher rate of intellectual disability in this population. Interest in dual diagnosis has increased and various assessment measures and treatments are being developed; however, there is still much work to be done to ensure that diagnostic criteria are appropriately applied to the IDD population. Controlled research studies are needed to examine the effectiveness of interventions tailored for level of functioning and the etiology of DD.” [6]
Resources
[1]https://www.alleydog.com/glossary/definition.php?term=Degenerative+Disorder
[2] https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/degenerative-disease
[3] https://utswmed.org/conditions-treatments/neurodegenerative-disorders/
[4] https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2018.00070
[5] https://powerfulpatients.org/2019/02/27/6-effective-ways-to-prevent-degenerative-diseases/
[6] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/developmental-disability