Every year, September 21 is marked as World Alzheimer’s Day. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that Alzheimer disease has become a major public health concern as the world’s population ages.
Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia and possibly contributes to 60-70 per cent of cases. As per WHO, dementia is a syndrome characterised by disturbance of multiple brain functions, including memory, thinking, orientation, comprehension, calculation, learning capacity, language, and judgement.
The theme for World Alzheimer’s Month this year is ‘Know dementia, know Alzheimer’s’. The day aims to raise awareness and fight stigma associated with it.
On World Alzheimer’s Day, the Union health ministry has urged citizens to extend support to people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia. “Alzheimer and Dementia are just like other illness and patients suffering from these ailments require your support,” tweeted the health ministry.
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Dementia cases to double in 20 years
According to WHO, the total number of people with dementia is projected to almost double every 20 years, to 65.7 million in 2030 and 115.4 million in 2050.
It is projected that by 2050, people aged 60 and over will account for 22 per cent of the world’s population with four-fifths living in Asia, Latin America or Africa.
It is estimated that over 5.3 million people in India live with dementia, of which Alzheimer’s is the most common cause. According to the Dementia in India Report 2020 published by the Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI), this figure is set to rise to 7.6 million in 2030.
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Managing Alzheimers
There are no available treatments that stop or reverse the progression of the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death.
However, its advance can be slowed down.
Engagement in physical, mental, social, and recreational activities such as regular exercise, developing and maintaining a strong network of friends, eating a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, controlling blood pressure, sleeping adequately and following a regular schedule are a few tips for possibly preventing the disease.
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