A Day of Reflection on Alzheimer’s, the New Epidemic of the 21st Century

The World Health Organization (WHO), under the auspices of Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), proclaimed September 21st as World Alzheimer’s Day. Which affects not only patients but also their immediate caregivers and family members.

Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, but routines and activities can be implemented to delay the deterioration caused by the disease, health authorities insist.

Alzheimer’s is an incurable mental illness that degenerates nerve cells in the brain and decreases brain mass. Causing patients to experience significant cognitive impairment, manifested in language difficulties, loss of sense of direction, and difficulty solving simple everyday problems.

There is no treatment to prevent the disease or slow its progression. Medications are prescribed to help with some symptoms of the disease and improve patients’ quality of life. But these are usually only useful in the early stages and become less useful in more advanced stages.

Once the first symptoms appear, patients deteriorate and become more dependent, requiring assistance with dressing, grooming, and eating. Little by little, the constant care of a caregiver will become essential, stress prevention campaigns.

It is known that the first lesions can appear 15 or 20 years before any symptoms appear, and they appear in the region of the brain called the hippocampus. Which is responsible, among other things, for learning and the formation of new memories. From there, they spread to other parts of the brain, when cognitive decline sets in, eventually leading to dementia.

Data from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) indicates that Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders affect approximately 10.3 million people in the Americas and are among the leading causes of death in individuals aged 60 and over.

Unfortunately, people living with these diseases are often subject to stigmatization and discrimination, they warn.

We must recognize dementia as a public health priority and invest accordingly in risk reduction, ongoing health and social care, and dementia-friendly initiatives that promote the participation, safety, and inclusion of people with dementia and their caregivers. PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa reflected on the 2024 event.

A recent publication in the Lancet showed that 45 percent of all dementia cases could be delayed, slowed, or even prevented. “New treatments represent a ray of hope, but we must also change the perception of dementia,” emphasized Paola Barbarino, Director General of ADI.

This applies to both healthcare professionals and the general public. Many still mistakenly believe that dementia is a normal part of aging. Also which denies people access to timely diagnosis, treatment, care, and support, she emphasized.

To address the global burden of dementia, the WHO developed the Global Action Plan on the Public Health Response to Dementia 2017-2025. Moreover in which was formally adopted by all Member States in 2017 at the 70th World Health Assembly.

The Plan outlines seven areas of action to reduce the burden of dementia. Including increasing support for caregivers of people with dementia and addressing dementia-related risk factors. Such as physical inactivity, obesity, and unhealthy diets, among the most significant.

With information from Prensa Latina

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