阿尔茨海默症(AD)是一种以智力下降、丧失工作能力、不能正常工作和生活能力为特征的疾病,多见于老年患者。2015年,全球有大约4680万的AD患者,而到2050年,这个数字将达到1.3亿。2015年,我国阿尔茨海默病已高达900万,专家预测,2030年我国将出现1000多万人。AD的发病率在老年人中较高,并具有明显的年龄高发性,并随着年龄的增加而迅速增加。国外的研究显示,AD在65岁和95岁以上老年人的发病率分别为1%和50%。目前常用的西医药物只能缓解AD的一些症状,但存在一些毒副作用。中医药治疗AD疗效确切,作用靶点多,协同效应少,副作用少,值得深入研究。其中针灸作为常用的一种方法,近些年已经成为研究的热点。本文就针灸治疗阿尔兹海默症的机制和方法进行综述,为此病的防治提供参考。Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a disease characterized by intellectual decline, loss of work ability, inability to work and live normally, and is more common in elderly patients. In 2015, there were approximately 46.8 million AD patients worldwide, and by 2050, this number will reach 130 million. In 2015, the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in China reached 9 million, and experts predict that there will be over 10 million people in China by 2030. The incidence rate of AD is relatively high in the elderly, and has obvious age high incidence, which increases rapidly with age. Foreign studies show that the incidence rate of AD in the elderly aged 65 and over 95 is 1% and 50% respectively. Currently, commonly used Western medicine drugs can only alleviate some symptoms of AD, but there are some toxic side effects. Traditional Chinese medicine has a definite therapeutic effect on AD, with multiple targets, few synergistic effects, and few side effects, which is worthy of further research. Among them, acupuncture and moxibustion, as a commonly used method, has become a research hotspot in recent years. This article reviews the mechanism an