ABSTRACT
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common retrograde neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system,as well as the most common type of dementia in the aged,the main manifestations of AD are progressive decline of cognitive function and daily life ability.AD seriously affects the quality of life and physical and mental health of the aged,and increased the burden of family and society.The etiology and pathogenesis of AD remain unclear nowadays,and there is no objective and specific biological marker to help the early diagnosis and effective treatment.Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are stable end products formed by non enzymatic reaction between the free amino groups of proteins,lipids,nucleic acids macromolecules and the carbonyls of glucose or other reduced sugars.Recent years,more and more studies have focused on the correlation between AGEs and its receptors (RAGE) in patients with cognitive impairment,however,the role played by AGEs in the pathogenesis of AD remains unclear.The present paper will give an overview from three aspects:the structure and characteristics of AGEs,the relationship between the occurrence and development of AD and AGEs and the relationship between AGEs and prognosis of cognitive impairment which we've known so