Alzheimer's disease (AD) has remained elusive in revealing its pathophysiology and mechanism of development. In this review paper, we attempt to highlight several theories that abound about the exact pathway of AD development. The number of cases worldwide has prompted a constant flow of research to detect high-risk patients, slow the progression of the disease and discover improved methods of treatment that may prove effective. We shall focus on the two main classes of drugs that are currently in use; and emerging ones with novel mechanisms that are under development. As of late there has also been increased attention towards factors that were previously thought to be unrelated to AD, such as the gut microbiome, lifestyle habits, and diet. Studies have now shown that all these factors make an impact on AD progression, thus bringing to our attention more areas that could hold the key to combating this disease. This paper covers all the aforementioned factors concisely. We also briefly explore the relationship between mental health and AD, both before and after the diagnosis of the disease.

阿尔茨海默病（AD）的病理生理学和发展机制仍然难以揭示。在这篇综述论文中，我们试图强调一些关于 AD 发展确切途径的理论。全球范围内的病例数量促使人们不断进行研究，以检测高危患者、减缓疾病进展并发现可能有效的改进治疗方法。我们将重点关注目前使用的两类主要药物；以及正在开发的具有新颖机制的新兴技术。最近，人们越来越关注以前被认为与 AD 无关的因素，例如肠道微生物群、生活习惯和饮食。现在的研究表明，所有这些因素都会影响 AD 的进展，从而引起我们更多的关注，这些领域可能是对抗这种疾病的关键。本文简明扼要地涵盖了上述所有因素。我们还简要探讨了 AD 诊断前后心理健康与 AD 之间的关系。