Alzheimer's
A neurological condition that causes brain cells to degenerate and die is an Alzheimer's disease. This leads to memory loss, speech or writing issues with words, poor judgement, changes in mood and personality, inconsistency with time or place, etc.
- These symptoms are mild at the first stage, but they become more severe with time.
- The most common cause of dementia among older adults is Alzheimer's.
- Dementia is a category of diseases of the brain that cause intellectual and social skills to be lost.
- It is caused by the accumulation within the brain of proteins known as tangles or plaques and is also known as the third form of diabetes.
- Aging is the main risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, but due to unusual genetic variations in individuals, symptoms may often start at the age of 30 or so.
- Alzheimer's is an incurable condition, since it is difficult to cure brain cell death.
- Women have a greater chance than men of developing Alzheimer's disease.
- Nearly twice as many women have Alzheimer's disease as men, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.
FACT & FINDINGS
- More than 4 million people suffering from some form of dementia are living in India and this number is expected to triple by 2050.
- At least 44 million people live with dementia globally, rendering the illness a public health issue that needs to be tackled.
- There is a high prevalence of Alzheimer's in Western countries, primarily due to improved diagnosis compared to countries like India, where it is often dismissed as a normal ageing phase.