Alzheimer's disease (AD), abbreviated from its English term, is the most common type of dementia in the elderly. It impairs a patient's thinking, memory, and independence, affecting their quality of life and mortality.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has described it as a "devastating disease." Globally, according to the World Alzheimer Report 2018 released by the Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI), there are currently at least 50 million dementia patients worldwide. By 2050, it is estimated to reach 152 million, with approximately 60%–70% of cases being Alzheimer's disease patients.