Prevalence and Incidence of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome: Rare Disease
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is listed as a "rare disease" by the Office of
Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health
(NIH). This means that Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, or a subtype of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome,
affects less than 200,000 people in the US population.
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome Prevalence: Book Excerpts
Prevalence/Incidence of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome: Online Medical Books
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE!
Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration,
for more information about the prevalence and/or incidence of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.
Alcohol-related disorder:
Causes and incidence
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Numerous biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors appear to be involved in alcohol addiction. An offspring of one parent with alcohol-related disorder is seven to eight times more likely to become an alcoholic than is a peer without such a parent. Biological factors may include genetic or biochemical abnormalities, nutritional deficiencies, endocrine imbalances, and allergic responses.
Psychological factors may include the urge to drink alcohol to reduce anxiety or symptoms of mental illness; the desire to avoid responsibility in familial, social, and work relationships; and the need to bolster self-esteem.
Sociocultural factors include the availability of alcoholic beverages, group or peer pressure, an excessively stressful lifestyle, and social attitudes that approve of frequent drinking.
More than 15% of American adults have a problem with alcohol use, and about 5% to 10% of male and 3% to 5% of female drinkers are alcohol dependent, accounting for about 12.5 million people. Alcohol-related disorder cuts across all social and economic groups, involves both sexes, and occurs at all stages of the life cycle, beginning as early as elementary school.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Alzheimer's disease:
Causes and incidence
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is unknown; however, several factors are thought to be implicated in this disease. These include neurochemical factors, such as deficiencies in the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, somatostatin, substance P, and norepinephrine; environmental factors; and genetic immunologic factors. Genetic studies show that an autosomal dominant form of Alzheimer’s disease is associated with early onset and early death, accounting for about 100,000 deaths a year. A family history of Alzheimer’s disease and the presence of Down syndrome are two established risk factors.Alzheimer’s disease isn’t exclusive to the elder population; its onset begins in middle age in 1% to 10% of cases
The brain tissue of patients with Alzhei-mer’s disease has three hallmark features: neurofibrillary tangles, neuritic plaques, and granulovascular degeneration. Examination of the brain after death also finds that it’s atrophic, commonly weighing less than 1,000 g, compared with a normal brain weight of about 1,380 g.
About 360,000new cases of Alzheimer’s are diagnosed each year.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
About prevalence and incidence statistics:
The term 'prevalence' of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome usually refers to the estimated population
of people who are managing Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome at any given time.
The term 'incidence' of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome refers to the annual diagnosis rate,
or the number of new cases of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome diagnosed each year.
Hence, these two statistics types can differ:
a short-lived disease like flu can have high annual incidence but low prevalence,
but a life-long disease like diabetes has a low annual incidence but high prevalence.
For more information see about prevalence and incidence statistics.
For the millions of Americans that suffer from alcoholism, accepting their diagnosis is an important first step. But making it through treatment can...
Sometimes we know what is standing in the way of a good night's sleep. But sometimes we don't. So what's keeping you up? The answer may...
Poor sleep is a fact of life for lots of tired Americans. What most never realize is that they may be contributing to their own restless nights. What...
Anyone preparing holiday festivities knows that all that hustle and bustle can put a damper on a good night's sleep. Join experts as they share...
See full list of 17 related videos
» Next page: Videos related to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
Rate This Website
What do you think about the features of this website?
Take our user survey and have your say:
Website User Survey
Medical Tools & Articles:
Next articles:
Tools & Services:
Medical Articles:
Forums & Message Boards
- Ask or answer a question at the Boards:
