“It’s not too late” – Global Calls to Alleviate Alzheimer’s
It’s September, a month that raises awareness about Alzheimer’s disease, a condition that has long puzzled researchers and scientists in its mysterious nature and causes. This disease, which increasingly affects people as they age, annually impacts millions who lose their memories and the vibrant, active lives they once had.
Every year on the 21st of September, the world celebrates Alzheimer’s Awareness Day, providing medical and moral care to patients and their families. This campaign is part of a unified global effort to achieve a world without Alzheimer’s disease and those afflicted by it.
In reality, Alzheimer’s represents a health crisis for those who suffer from it and their families. The numbers are on the rise, with the World Health Organization estimating that more than 35 million people worldwide have Alzheimer’s, making it the most common form of dementia affecting about 55 million people globally.
Alzheimer‘s slowly erodes memory, thinking skills, and eventually hinders a person’s ability to perform even the most basic daily tasks.
In the midst of a world grappling with natural disasters, wars, and following the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization remains optimistic and states that it’s not too late to control Alzheimer‘s and prevent its complications. This is especially true with the success of some scientific experiments in developing drugs that alleviate its accompanying symptoms, thereby reducing its significant economic, emotional, and psychological burden.
Alzheimer’s is characterized by:
A gradual decline in cognitive function, including memory, knowledge, and awareness. Certain risk factors contribute to the increase in Alzheimer’s, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and genetic factors. Changes in the patient’s personality, memory loss, and speech disturbances are early symptoms of Alzheimer’s. In 2023, the FDA approved the drug Lecampi to slow cognitive and perceptual impairment symptoms and delay the onset of Alzheimer’s.
In this regard, Dr. Hanan Sheikh Ibrahim, an anti-aging medicine consultant, stated:
The appearance of Alzheimer’s symptoms is evidence of its presence in the brain for years. Women are more susceptible to Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s accounts for 80 percent of dementia cases. Preventive research on this disease has been underway since 2012. 40 percent of cases can be prevented. Alzheimer’s prevention is possible at an early age, even in one’s thirties.
Ways and means to prevent Alzheimer’s include:
Controlling factors that lead to Alzheimer‘s, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, lack of sleep, and extended desk work. Treating obesity and high blood pressure. Adopting a low-salt Mediterranean diet.
