At present, 18 million people worldwide have the disease. By 2020, there will be 34 million. In Malaysia, it is estimated that there are currently about 50,000 people with the disease.
However, most of them are not diagnosed. This is because relatives think that the symptoms displayed are a normal part of growing old and thus do not seek medical advice on it.
Alzheimer’s Disease affects not only the patients themselves, but also profoundly changes the lives of family members and close friends. Someone they love and care for gradually disintegrates as a person. Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease is sometimes referred to as a “36-hour-a-day” task. However, proper understanding of the disease and management of the patient can reduce the burden considerably and greatly improve the quality of life for patients, their caregivers and families.
Alzheimer’s: A Much Misunderstood Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common form of dementia. It is NOT a part of normal ageing, but a disease involving the progressive loss of brain nerve cells. Since these nerve cells are essential for normal thought, memory and other brain functions, people with Alzheimer’s Disease suffer a decline of mental functions which eventually interferes with the patient’s normal daily activities.
Over time, Alzheimer’s Disease patients lose their ability to perform even the most basic activities of daily living like brushing one’s teeth, putting on clothes, bathing, etc. In the end, the ability to walk and talk may be lost as well.
Known as the disease of “The Long Goodbye”, the illness often stretches over 10 and even 20 years. Despite intensive research in recent years, the disease is still not yet fully understood, and there is still no known cure.
Who Is At Risk?
Those most at risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease are the elderly, and the risk increases with age. According to statistics worldwide, one in 20 of those aged 65 and above have Alzheimer’s Disease. However, amongst those aged 80 and above, one in five have Alzheimer’s Disease. There is also a smaller group of people who may develop what is called Early Onset Alzheimer’s from as young as their 40s or even late 30s.
Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease
There are Ten Common Symptoms that can serve as a general guideline to help identify Alzheimer’s Disease sufferers. If you think that these problems are affecting your daily life, or the life of someone you know, you should talk to your doctor, or encourage them to talk to theirs.
Symptoms vary between Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia, but there are broad similarities between them all. The most common signs are memory loss and the loss of practical abilities, which can lead to withdrawal from work or social activities.
What to look out for…
1. Memory loss
Declining memory, especially short-term memory, is the most common early symptom of dementia. People with ordinary forgetfulness can still remember other facts associated with the thing they have forgotten. For example, they may briefly forget their next-door neighbour’s name but they still know the person they are talking to is their next-door neighbour. A person with dementia will not only forget their neighbour’s name but also the context.
2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks
People with dementia often find it hard to complete everyday tasks that are so familiar we usually do not think about how to do them. A person with dementia may not know in what order to put clothes on or the steps for preparing a meal.
3. Problems with language
A person with dementia often forgets simple words or substitutes unusual words, making speech or writing hard to understand.
4. Disorientation to time and place
People with dementia can become lost in familiar places such as the road they live in, forget where they are or how they got there, and not know how to get back home. A person with dementia may also confuse night and day.
5. Poor or decreased judgement
People with dementia may dress inappropriately, wearing several layers of clothes on a warm day or very few on a cold day.
6. Problems with keeping track of things
A person with dementia may find it difficult to follow a conversation or keep up with paying their bills.
7. Misplacing things
A person with dementia may put things in unusual places such as an iron in the fridge or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl.
8. Changes in mood or behaviour
A person with dementia may become unusually emotional and experience rapid mood swings for no apparent reason. Alternatively a person with dementia may show less emotion than was usual previously.
9. Changes in personality
A person with dementia may seem different from his or her usual self in ways that are difficult to pinpoint. A person may become suspicious, irritable, depressed, apathetic or anxious and agitated especially in situations where memory problems are causing difficulties.
10. Loss of initiative
A person with dementia may become very passive, sitting in front of the television for hours, sleeping more than usual, or appear to lose interest in hobbies.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms or are concerned about a friend or relative, visit your doctor and discuss your concerns.
7 Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Dementia
Ageing is the biggest risk factor for dementia and can’t be changed. There are however lots of things you can do to reduce your risk. It’s up to you. You’ll find it easier to adopt a healthier lifestyle if you can build it into your normal daily routine. Get your friends and family to support you – or better yet, join you.
Based on the latest research, here are our top tips to reduce your risk of dementia. Your risk will be lowest if you can adopt several of these and not just one or two.
1. Keep physically active – for at least 30 minutes, five times a week. You’ll need to be active enough to raise your heart rate and get a bit out of breath. You could walk, cycle, swim or join an exercise or dance group.
2. Don’t smoke – if you already do smoke, try to stop. By smoking you are at a greater risk of developing dementia and harming your lungs, heart and circulation.
3. Eat a healthy balanced diet – A healthy diet has a high proportion of oily fish, fruit, vegetables, unrefined cereals and olive oil, and low levels of red meat and sugar. Such a diet will help reduce your risk of dementia and heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. Try to cut down on saturated fat (eg cakes, biscuits, most cheeses) and limit sugary treats. Keep an eye on your salt intake too, because salt raises your blood pressure and risk of stroke. Read food labels to see what’s in them and seek out healthier options.
4. Keep your alcohol within recommended limits – this is the same as four or five large glasses of wine, or seven pints of beer or lager with a lower alcohol content. Regularly exceeding these weekly limits increases your dementia risk.
5. Take control of your health – If you’re invited for a regular mid-life health check at the doctor’s, be sure to go. It’s like an ‘MOT’ for your body and will include a check of your blood pressure, weight and maybe cholesterol level. These are linked to dementia and conditions that are strong risk factors for dementia (heart disease, stroke and diabetes).
6. Keep to a healthy weight – this will reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease – and hence probably of dementia. A good place to start is to follow the advice on exercise and diet. Keep a diary of your food intake and exercise for each day, and remember that alcohol contains hidden calories.
7. Give your brain a daily workout – This could be reading, doing puzzles, word searches or crosswords, playing cards or learning something new – maybe another language. If you can keep your mind active you are likely to reduce your risk of dementia. There is a bit less evidence, but keeping socially engaged and having a good social network may also reduce your dementia risk. Visit people or have them visit you, join a club or volunteer.
