【World Alzheimer's Day】"I don't want to forget you"

As people age, cognitive decline becomes a challenge faced by many elderly people, among which dementia (including Alzheimer's disease) is particularly concerning. Once they become ill, their memory, thinking and judgment will be slowly erased by the "eraser in their brains", which not only affects the daily quality of life of patients, but also brings a heavy burden to their families and society.

September 21st this year is the 31st "World Alzheimer's Day". In order to raise residents' awareness of Alzheimer's disease prevention and treatment and advocate early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment of Alzheimer's disease, on the morning of September 18th, the Department of Neurology of our hospital held a large-scale charity clinic.

On the day of the free clinic, Zhong Shijiang, director of the Department of Neurology, led a team of medical staff to provide on-site services, patiently and meticulously analyzing and explaining the physical conditions of the patients, providing practical and feasible diagnosis and treatment suggestions for the discomfort symptoms, and guiding the correct and standardized use of medication. The focus was on emphasizing the importance of early identification and intervention of cognitive impairment, effective measures to reduce the risk of disease, and how to provide good family care, and reminding residents that if they show early signs of Alzheimer's disease, they can go to the hospital in time for systematic examination and treatment.

Alzheimer's disease is regarded as the "silent epidemic of the 21st century." According to estimates by the World Health Organization, the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease among people over 65 years old worldwide is 4% to 7%, which means that about 4 to 7 out of every 100 people over 65 years old suffer from Alzheimer's disease .

Alzheimer's disease patients mainly show gradual and progressive memory loss, language and visual-spatial disorders, and decreased ability to live daily, which may be accompanied by mental symptoms. The disease is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors and mainly affects people over 60 years old.

When the elderly in your family show early signs of illness, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible to prevent and treat the disease.

How to reduce the risk of disease?

Although new drugs for treating Alzheimer's disease have been shown to slow the progression of the disease, it is important to note that Alzheimer's disease is still incurable and cannot be reversed, so prevention is particularly important. In addition, more and more studies have shown that Alzheimer's disease, like other chronic diseases, is preventable.

Many risk factors can increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Older people, especially those over 65 years old, women, those with Alzheimer's disease-causing or risk gene mutations, and those with a family history of Alzheimer's disease have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Age, gender, genetic genes and other factors are unchangeable, but there are many risk factors that can be intervened, such as lack of physical activity, smoking, excessive drinking, air pollution, head injury, too little social interaction, low education, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression and hearing loss.

The international guidelines for evidence-based prevention of Alzheimer's disease show that the following can delay or prevent 40% of Alzheimer's disease:

1. Maintain a healthy lifestyle

Avoid obesity in young and middle-aged people, and do not be too thin in old age (over 65 years old); receive as much education as possible in early years; engage in more mental activities; insist on regular physical exercise; do not smoke and avoid exposure to secondhand smoke; maintain good sleep, and seek medical attention in time when sleep disorders occur.

2. Avoid diseases that increase your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease

Avoid diabetes, and diabetic patients should closely monitor cognitive function; avoid hypertension, and patients with orthostatic hypotension should closely monitor cognitive function; protect the head and avoid trauma; maintain mental health, and patients with depression should closely monitor cognitive function; avoid cerebrovascular disease, and stroke patients should closely monitor cognitive function; maintain cardiovascular health, and patients with atrial fibrillation should actively receive treatment; regularly test blood homocysteine, and patients with hyperhomocysteinemia should actively receive treatment.

In addition, you should maintain a strong body, and those who are weak should closely monitor their cognitive function; relax and avoid excessive stress; and take in or take extra vitamin C in your diet. However, it is not recommended to use cholinesterase inhibitors, which are used to treat the disease, to prevent Alzheimer's disease. For postmenopausal women, estrogen replacement is also not recommended to prevent Alzheimer's disease.

We encourage the public to keep their brains active, develop good living habits, eat a balanced diet, and manage chronic diseases. To prevent dementia and Alzheimer's disease, let's take action now!

Information source | Department of Neurology, Beichen Hospital, Healthy China