‘Notebook’ star Gena Rowlands has died at 94. What to know about her Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

Acclaimed actress Gena Rowlands died Wednesday at the age of 94, her family and representatives confirmed. News of the star’s death comes just two months after her son, director Nick Cassavetes, revealed that his mother had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, although no official cause of death has yet been released .In June, Cassavetes spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the parallels between his mother’s real-life diagnosis and his role in The Notebook, which he directed.

Rowlands played a woman with dementia in the 2004 film. “I asked my mom to play the older Allie, and we spent a lot of time talking about Alzheimer’s and wanting to be real, and now she’s had Alzheimer’s for five years,” said Cassavetes, whose father was the late husband of Rowlands. director and actor John Cassavetes. According to Entertainment Weekly, Gena Rowland’s mother, actress Lady Rowlands, also had the disease. Here’s what you need to know about the main cause of dementia in the elderly and the risks associated with a family history of Alzheimer’s disease.

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What is Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s disease affects approximately 6.7 million people in the United States. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, a 2020 study estimated that about a third of Americans have a close relative with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is one of several types of dementia, a disease that impairs a person’s memory, behavior and ability to think clearly. It accounts for between 60% and 80% of dementia diagnoses in the United States. .Alzheimer’s disease is distinguished from other dementias and memory loss mainly by the way it manifests itself in the brain, tells Yahoo Life Dr. Kostas Lyketsos, director of the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Center for Memory and Treatment. The telltale signs are plaques of a derived protein, called beta-amyloid, and tangles made mostly of another protein, called tau. Lyketsos says doctors like him can usually tell the difference between Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of mild cognitive impairment.when the symptoms appear, but the differences are subtle.

The symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease tend to be more severe and can worsen more quickly than those of other forms of dementia or cognitive impairment. “Short-term memory problems, which cause a person to ask repetitive questions or forget recent events or conversations, are often among the first symptoms” of Alzheimer’s disease, explains Dr. Vijay Ramanan, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic, on Yahoo Life. Other forms of dementia often appear firstvarious symptoms, including personality changes.

What is the cause of the disease?

Scientists are not “100 percent sure” of the causes, says Lyketsos, and says that a family’s genes are a major predictor of Alzheimer’s risk. “But there are actually two types of genetic relationships,” he says. Ramanan points out that “having a family history of the disease increases the personal risk to some extent, but it is important to remember that almost all cases of Alzheimer’s disease are not directly caused by a genetic change. “However, there are three genes that are “deterministic,” Lyketsos explains. “If you have one of these bad alleles” – or genetic variants – “you get the disease.” Most people with these deterministic genes begin to develop Alzheimer’s disease at an early stage, starting in their 60s or even their 40s or 50s, Lyketsos says.

But they are rare, representing only about 5% of all Alzheimer’s cases. “Everyone has what we call sporadic [genetic] risk,” Lyketsos explains. In addition to these rare genes, there are more than 100 genes, as well as environmental and behavioral factors that contribute to the risk profile of a person with Alzheimer’s disease. The number one risk factor is age; the chances of developing the disease double approximately every five years after age 65, according to the National Institute on Aging. Rowlands was about 89 at the time of her diagnosis.

“People who develop Alzheimer’s disease at this age and who have a parent who had it are at greater risk, but it is of a more sporadic risk,” explains Lyketsos. Another important risk factor is cerebrovascular disease, in which the blood vessels of the brain and blood flow are compromised. Both high blood pressure and smoking are risk factors for cerebrovascular disease, which in turn increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, “but there are no clear environmental causes that we believe ultimately lead to the disease of Alzheimer’s,” says Lyketsos.

What to do if a member of your family has Alzheimer’s disease. Although Alzheimer’s disease is inherited, “we do not recommend doing genetic testing at this time in asymptomatic people” in most cases, says Lyketsos. “But if there is a strong family history of the disease and someone got it at a young age, we will do tests. “Having a parent or loved one with Alzheimer’s disease can cause anxiety, Lyketsos adds.

“It’s not uncommon for the child of a person suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s to come to me with concerns,” she explains. “But in most cases in this case, either we cannot measure the memory loss, or there are other explanations, such as lack of sleep, alcohol use, or depression, which can cause changes that mimic dementia or mild cognitive impairment could occur unrelated to Alzheimer’s disease or a loved one’s diagnosis, Lyketsos explains.

Lyketsos says there are no special precautions to take if you have a family history of Alzheimer’s, but there are some general health-promoting habits that are especially important if you know you’re at risk, including staying mentally and physically active, eating balanced diet and maintain overall brain and body health, he says. In addition to this, Lyketsos advises doing a combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercise “that you do regularly, so choose something that you have to do.”

Last, but not least: “It is very important to be socially engaged,” explains Lyketsos. “Loneliness seems to be a risk factor. “Be sure to stay more engaged and get social support if you’re caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s, he adds. “Contact professionals who can guide you to create a safe and stable environment, but also who can help you take care of yourself, because it’s a very long road.”