ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE IS A PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE IS A

PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM

Training and caring for care-givers of Alzheimer's disease patients is the focus of most of the Alzheimer's disease societies across the globe, as care giving is the single most important aspect of the disease, said Nori Graham, former chairperson of the Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) and the Alzheimer's Society in U.K., and now the honorary vice-president of the organisations. On a visit here, Dr. Graham, speaking to The Hindu, said that it is important to realise that dementia is like any other disease. It continues to be a hidden disease here because of cultural reasons, she said. When the loss of memory and muddled behaviour and disorientation about day and night starts affecting daily life, one needs to consult a doctor for proper assessment, she said.

Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease get worse over a period of six months to a year in some patients, while it is slower in others. People forget how to dress, how to wash, how to eat, and these result in the family becoming oriented towards helping the person get on with the daily chores. “It may result in a lot of problems if these are associated with aging. The care giver has to understand the problem and get around managing the person with dementia,” said Dr. Graham who is a consultant psychiatrist for the elderly at a hospital in the United Kingdom. About 50-60 per cent of dementia is said to be due to Alzheimer's disease, but many times these two factors are found to be overlapping as well, she said.

It is a public health problem and needs greater attention by governments in the developing countries. In India, about 37 lakh people struggle with dementia, which is going to double by 2030 because the population would be ageing, she said. India has made a lot of changes from its position in 1998, when the ADI's meeting was first held in an Asian country- in Kochi. Care centres for the elderly are at homes here but soon, the government would have to provide for the elderly's care centres, she added. Preventing obesity, diabetes and cutting down on alcohol and smoking could help largely in preventing vascular dementia, said Dr. Graham. A lot of research is going on for drugs in treating Alzheimer's disease. But not all the available drugs are effective, she said. The drugs help only about 40 per cent of the patients. A few have been seen controlling behaviour changes; but overall, the progression is only slightly altered with drugs, said Dr. Graham.

                                                                 Prof. John Kurakar