Aluminium and Alzheimer's disease – An overview

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by progressive loss of short term memory followed by general loss of cognitive and other brain functions, the need for constant care and eventual death. Researchers believe that in majority of those affected, Alzheimer's disease results from combination of different risk factors rather than one single cause. Such factors which vary from person to person may include age, genetic predisposition, other diseases and environmental factors. Researchers have claimed number of circumstantial links between aluminium and Alzheimer's disease. Aluminium, being a highly reactive metal, is known to cross-link hyperphosphorylated proteins, which may play an active role in the pathogenesis of critical neuropatholologic lesion in Alzheimer's disease and other related disorder. Present article condenses existing scientific evidence about the relationship between aluminium exposure and development of Alzheimer's disease evaluating its long term effects on public health.