Blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity are preventable risk factors that can help reduce the chances or reverse the odds of dementia by 60 percent.
On World Alzheimer’s Day on Saturday, researchers stated high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity are controllable risk factors that can help reverse or lower the likelihood of dementia by 60%.
Raising Awareness on World Alzheimer’s Day
World Alzheimer’s Day: A Step Towards Understanding Dementia
World Alzheimer’s Day is observed annually on September 21 in an effort to raise awareness of the stigma associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. This day is important for raising public awareness and promoting a better comprehension of these disorders.
The Importance of Breaking the Stigma
Why Addressing Stigma Matters in Alzheimer’s and Dementia
One of the biggest obstacles still facing people with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia is stigma. Inaccurate perceptions of these illnesses’ characteristics can result in prejudice, social exclusion, and inadequate support. World Alzheimer’s Day provides an opportunity to dispel these myths and advance a society that is more accepting and caring of people who are impacted.
Increasing Public Understanding of Alzheimer’s Disease
Educating Communities to Support Better Care
Increasing public knowledge about dementia and Alzheimer’s disease not only lessens stigma but also strengthens support networks. Communities can have a better understanding of the signs, course, and care requirements related to these conditions through education. With more understanding, caregivers, family members, and society as a whole can better support people with dementia emotionally and practically.
Global Efforts on World Alzheimer’s Day
Collaborative Actions to Improve Care and Research
In the fight against dementia, World Alzheimer’s Day brings organizations, carers, medical experts, and the general public together. On this day, there are activities and initiatives that promote policy changes, showcase the most recent scientific findings, and inspire people to support those who are impacted by Alzheimer’s. Through promoting international cooperation, the day advances our quest for more effective therapies and, eventually, a remedy for serious illnesses.
Alzheimer’s disease is a crippling neurological and cognitive illness that progressively impairs a person’s capacity for thought, memory, language, and even basic job completion.
It is the most common cause of dementia in older adults and mainly affects those over 65.
It is among the most typical reasons why people get dementia or memory loss. Even though the rate of Alzheimer’s disease in India is gradually rising, it may not be concerning. The illness is more common in the elderly, but it is also becoming increasingly prevalent in younger people.
“The moment to address dementia is now, by addressing its preventable risk factors. Additionally, we can lessen or even reverse dementia if we address the preventable risk factors for the disease.by 60%,” AIIMS neurology department director Dr. Manjari Tripathi said to IANS.
What then are these risk factors that can be avoided?
Managing blood pressure, diabetes, abstaining from alcohol and tobacco, and lowering obesity or body weight levels. And there should be no sleeplessness. Seek therapy for your obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia because poor sleep might affect your memory, according to Tripathi.
Additionally, a sedentary, inactive lifestyle, failing to exercise, becoming docile as one ages, spending more time on the couch or in chairs, or learning no new skills can all be detrimental to one’s ability to think clearly.
According to research published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia, 7.4% of Indians 60 years of age and older had dementia, which translates to roughly 8.8 million individuals. The study was done using nationally representative data collected in India from 2017 to 2020.
Strikingly, dementia prevalence was found to be higher among females (9 percent) compared to males (5.8 percent), particularly in rural areas.
The research highlights that the number of Indians with dementia could rise to 16.9 million by 2036 if current trends continue.
“Women have a much higher lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer’s than men. This could be due to a mix of biological, genetic, and lifestyle factors,” Dr. Arindam Ghosh, Consultant-Neurologist, Narayana Health, Kolkata, told IANS.
“In India, where women’s life expectancy is longer, we see a notable gender disparity in Alzheimer’s cases,” Ghosh added.
The experts stressed the need for boosting awareness about the condition, which can help in early diagnosis.
Tripathi explained that Alzheimer’s has three stages: early, middle, and late. Therapy is begun in the early stage to prevent the disease from progressing at a fast rate.
“It is essential that all people are brought in early when the early symptoms start, after which tests can be done to make the diagnosis,” the neurologist said.
Early symptoms include memory loss that disrupts daily life, poor judgement, losing track of dates or knowing the current location, repeating questions, or forgetting recently learned information.
“The diagnosis is made carefully by taking clinical history from the caregiver, and other neuropsychological tests, like MRI brain, blood tests like Vitamin B12, thyroid, and Vitamin D. There are also biomarker tests, after which we do a PET brain test, and then diagnosis can be achieved,” Tripathi told IANS.
The expert suggested people start actively making a healthy lifestyle, with proper diet and aerobic exercises, especially after the age of 35.
Besides a healthy lifestyle, she suggested people indulge in cognitive tasks like puzzles, sudoku, art, music, pet therapy, learning a new dance, learning a new language, and learning new skills—basically to have a purpose in life.
“If you can act on all these, then we can prevent dementia. That is why it is time to act on dementia. All these actions need to start by the age of 35 gradually,” Tripathi said, adding information about the illness that may aid in a prompt diagnosis.
According to Tripathi, there are three stages of Alzheimer’s disease: early, middle, and late. In order to stop the disease from advancing quickly, therapy is started early.
The neurologist stated, “It is crucial that everyone is brought in early when the early symptoms start, so that tests can be done to make the diagnosis.”
Early signs of memory loss include impaired judgment, forgetting recent knowledge, asking the same question over and over, losing track of dates or locations, and memory loss that interferes with day-to-day activities.
“A thorough clinical history from the caregiver, together with additional neuropsychological testing such as brain MRIs and blood tests for thyroid, vitamin D, and vitamin B12, are used to make the diagnosis. Additionally, biomarker testing exists, following which a diagnosis can be made using a PET brain exam, Tripathi told IANS.
Particularly around the age of 35, the expert advised people to actively begin creating a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and aerobic activity.
She advised people to lead healthy lifestyles and to engage in cognitive activities such as puzzles, sudoku, art, music, pet therapy, learning a new dance, language, and skill set—basically, to have a purpose in life.
We can stop dementia if you can take care of all of these. It is therefore time to take dementia seriously. By the age of 35, all of these steps must be gradually initiated, according to Tripathi.