Biological/Ecological Approach
The biological approach to medical anthropology considers the genetic variation and evolution that play a part in illness and disease. It also takes into account the physiology of humans that leads to health issues in our lifetimes. It looks at the relationship between a person's physical well-being and compares that to their environment to further understand the causes and prevalence of disease and illness in a certain area of the world. This approach is important to consider when studying Alzheimer's disease because it is highly genetic. Genetically predisposed people develop in a way that puts them at a higher risk of suffering with this disease. It is now up to scientific researchers to understand why the brain cells degrade so quickly in a person with Alzheimer's, and what we can do to stop or slow this process.
The ecological approach focuses on the relationship between people and their environment and how this can affect the occurrence of diseases. Everything from water and air content, available resources, social practices, and culture can be taken into account when looking at the ecological influences of disease in a community. The number of people diagnosed each year with Alzheimer's disease has been consistently rising and is now the sixth leading cause of disease in the United States across all ages (1). We need to look at what factors of our environment could be causing this steady increase, in order to find a cure and protect future generations. The graph to the left shows how the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease is expected to rise from 2000 to 2100 for people age 65 and older.
Researchers and medical professionals have made huge strides in the the past decade discovering medications and therapy that slow the process of Alzheimer's. They are aware that the disease is genetic, but still have yet to find a cure and pinpoint what really happens to the body and brain of people affected. Hundreds of scholarly articles are published that describe this research, and many of them are done by public health and anthropologically focused researchers. Alzheimer's disease has a huge impact on the patient as well as their family and friends, but also has created an enormous burden for our medical system and is expected to be the most expensive disease for our healthcare system in the next decade. One of the most interesting articles about the impact of Alzheimer's disease on our society was written by a doctor with a Masters in Public Health and his colleagues. He discusses the huge impact that Alzheimer's has had on our healthcare system and suggests that finding therapy that delays the onset of this disease rather than dedicating money to research how to cure the disease, is more successful and a better use of our healthcare funds. He has found that educating our society about lifestyle choices that can lead to this disease, could significantly delay the onset of this disease and therefore lowering the impact on our healthcare system (2).
Biological and ecological anthropology allows us to study the physiological aspects of Alzheimer's disease and helps us understand the relationship between our environment and this prevalence of this disease. Continue on to the next tab above to learn about the Ethnomedical aspect of Alzheimer's disease.
(1) "Alzheimer's Facts & Statistics." Alzheimer's Facts & Statistics. Bright Focus Foundation, 14 June 2015. Web. 14 Aug. 2014.
http://www.brightfocus.org/alzheimers/about/understanding/facts.html.
(2) Weiler, P G. "The Public Health Impact of Alzheimer's Disease.." American Journal of Public Health 77.9 (1987): 1157-1158. Print.
Researchers and medical professionals have made huge strides in the the past decade discovering medications and therapy that slow the process of Alzheimer's. They are aware that the disease is genetic, but still have yet to find a cure and pinpoint what really happens to the body and brain of people affected. Hundreds of scholarly articles are published that describe this research, and many of them are done by public health and anthropologically focused researchers. Alzheimer's disease has a huge impact on the patient as well as their family and friends, but also has created an enormous burden for our medical system and is expected to be the most expensive disease for our healthcare system in the next decade. One of the most interesting articles about the impact of Alzheimer's disease on our society was written by a doctor with a Masters in Public Health and his colleagues. He discusses the huge impact that Alzheimer's has had on our healthcare system and suggests that finding therapy that delays the onset of this disease rather than dedicating money to research how to cure the disease, is more successful and a better use of our healthcare funds. He has found that educating our society about lifestyle choices that can lead to this disease, could significantly delay the onset of this disease and therefore lowering the impact on our healthcare system (2).
Biological and ecological anthropology allows us to study the physiological aspects of Alzheimer's disease and helps us understand the relationship between our environment and this prevalence of this disease. Continue on to the next tab above to learn about the Ethnomedical aspect of Alzheimer's disease.
(1) "Alzheimer's Facts & Statistics." Alzheimer's Facts & Statistics. Bright Focus Foundation, 14 June 2015. Web. 14 Aug. 2014.
http://www.brightfocus.org/alzheimers/about/understanding/facts.html.
(2) Weiler, P G. "The Public Health Impact of Alzheimer's Disease.." American Journal of Public Health 77.9 (1987): 1157-1158. Print.