The condition also affects the ability of the affected persons to understand what is happening around them, and causes them to be confused as well as frustrated as they can no longer do things that they used to do without support from other people.

[contextly_sidebar id=”KSSa27b5PYx728UvTETcMs8cr9NnPsm9″]Dr. Akwesi Osei, the Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Authority (MHA), made the claim at the 2017 World Alzheimer’s Day conference held in Accra on Tuesday on the theme: “Remember Me.”

He said although the statistics were huge, a large number of the condition was not reported because they were often treated as an ‘old age syndrome,’ where older persons often forgot their names, that of their relatives or failed to recognize their environment.

He said because of the lack of knowledge of the condition in Ghana and Africa in general, there was no recognition at all for proper care-giving, protection of the rights of sufferers, proper health care interventions nor initiatives to create public awareness for early reporting.

Dementia, he said, was a real tragic illness, because it was an irreversible condition which damaged the brain cells, and the dangers were that it could not be easily diagnosed, but its progression could be slowed down with some medication if patients reported early to the hospital.

Dr Osei said the nation had not done well at all in terms of taking care of its aged persons and giving them the required professional and mental health care.

He said “Alzheimer’s is a reality and all are potential candidates,” saying awareness about the disease had been a major problem as knowledge about the dangerous silent killer was not widely known, but were often lumped together with other mental health conditions.

The United Nations, he said, in recognition of the impact of the disease globally, set aside September 21 annually, for the acknowledgment, create awareness and to intensify advocacy to affect policy changes.

The day was also to ensure that people living with the condition got the best of health care, social support as well as respect for their dignity, rather than being stigmatized and ostracized as witches.

Mr Ato Wright, the Vice President of the Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Association of Ghana, said although the exact cause of dementia was Alzheimer’s which was one of the types of dementia was not readily know.

He said risk factors such as excessive alcohol abuse, smoking, Hypertension, stoke, diabetes, lack of some vitamins such as B6 and B1, road crash, food contaminations with heavy metals as well as genetic pre-disposal exposures could trigger the illness.

Mrs Esther Dey, the Executive Director of Alzheimer’s Ghana, mentioned some of the symptoms apart from the loss of short term memory as disorientation of place, forgetfulness which was often characterized by a condition called denial, delusion, hallucination, aggression, sleep disturbances and the loss of interest in things that they used to enjoy.

These, she said could be reduced by addressing the known risk factors and gave the assurance that the Association would continue to intensify its advocacy to attract the attention of government and other stakeholders to join hands in providing quality care, as well as strengthen legislation on stigma and discrimination of persons with mental health disorders.

The Conference which was organised by the Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Association of Ghana (Alzheimer’s Ghana), as part of activities to commemorate the Day, therefore sought to highlight the plight of people with mental problems such as dementia and their families in Ghana’s aging population.

It also sought to create awareness about the dangers of excessive use of mercury in “galamsay”, which was a major cause of dementia, as well as the livelihood issues involved, and shed light on the unique impact of the disease and mental health conditions on women, including the stress associated with caregiving.

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Source: GNA

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It lists nine key risk factors including lack of education, hearing loss, smoking and physical inactivity.

The study is being presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in London.

By 2050, 131 million people could be living with dementia globally.

There are estimated to be 47 million people with the condition at the moment.

Nine factors that contribute to the risk of dementia

• Mid-life hearing loss – responsible for 9% of the risk
• Failing to complete secondary education – 8%
• Smoking – 5%
• Failing to seek early treatment for depression – 4%
• Physical inactivity – 3%
• Social isolation – 2%
• High blood pressure – 2%
• Obesity – 1%
• Type 2 diabetes – 1%

These risk factors – which are described as potentially modifiable – add up to 35%. The other 65% of dementia risk is thought to be potentially non-modifiable.

Source: Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention and care

“Although dementia is diagnosed in later life, the brain changes usually begin to develop years before,” said lead author Prof Gill Livingston, from University College London.

“Acting now will vastly improve life for people with dementia and their families and, in doing so, will transform the future of society.”

The report, which combines the work of 24 international experts, says lifestyle factors can play a major role in increasing or reducing an individual’s dementia risk.

It examines the benefits of building a “cognitive reserve”, which means strengthening the brain’s networks so it can continue to function in later life despite damage.

Eve Laird, from Dumfries, is worried about dementia because her mum is living with the condition.

She has decided to make some changes to her lifestyle.

“I’m terrible for eating processed foods and takeaways and I’ve really been trying to cut back on that.

“I definitely drink a lot more water than I used to – and I don’t drink as much coffee now.

“I actually took part in the Edinburgh marathon. For that I joined the Dumfries running club – I go there once a week.”

She says she felt so much better for the exercise, and for improving her diet.

“I felt a lot healthier and mentally sharper as well. It’s something I’d really like to continue, but it is hard to stay on track.”

“I just think the small changes can make such a big difference.”

Failure to complete secondary education was a major risk factor, and the authors suggest that individuals who continue to learn throughout life are likely to build additional brain reserves.

Another major risk factor is hearing loss in middle age – the researchers say this can deny people a cognitively rich environment and lead to social isolation and depression, which are among other potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia.

Another key message from the report is that what is good for the heart is good for the brain.

‘Positive changes’

Not smoking, doing exercise, keeping a healthy weight, treating high blood pressure and diabetes can all reduce the risk of dementia, as well as cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

The researchers say they did not have enough data to include dietary factors or alcohol in their calculations but believe both could be important.

Dr Doug Brown, director of research at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Though it’s not inevitable, dementia is currently set to be the 21st Century’s biggest killer. We all need to be aware of the risks and start making positive lifestyle changes.”

Dr David Reynolds, chief scientific officer at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Alongside prevention research, we must continue to invest in research to find a life-changing treatment for people with this devastating condition.”

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Source: BBC

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They looked at performance in memory and thinking tests of 1,300 people in their 50s to gauge brain health.

The study did not look at the risk of dementia and experts said there could be many different factors at play.

The findings were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in London.

Although the research could not establish any direct link between stress and an increased risk of dementia, stressful experiences are known to have an impact on brain function, which could then lead to dementia in the longer term.

Poorer memory

The theory is that stress increases inflammation, which could increase the chances of developing dementia – and this is currently being tested by University of Southampton researchers.

This study, from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, found that African Americans were more at risk of stress in life than other ethnic groups. This is because they scored poorer results in the memory tests than other groups and also tended to live in poorer neighbourhoods.

Stressful experiences across all groups included educational difficulties, financial insecurity, serious health problems and psychological trauma.

Other studies presented at the conference point to growing evidence that stress in early life and where people live can be factors in an individual’s risk of developing dementia.

Dr Doug Brown, director of research and development for Alzheimer’s Society, said studying the role of stress was complex.

“It is hard to separate from other conditions such as anxiety and depression, which are also thought to contribute towards dementia risk.

“However, the findings do indicate that more should be done to support people from disadvantaged communities who are more likely to experience stressful life events.”

There are currently around 850,000 people in the UK with dementia.

It mainly affects people over the age of 65 and, while the likelihood of developing dementia rises sharply with age, about 42,000 of those suffering from the condition are younger than that.

Dr Carol Routledge, director of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said there could be a number of different factors involved in the link between stress and memory decline.

But she said the brain was an “incredibly intricate organ” to research.

“There is a growing realisation that events and experiences throughout life can impact the brain decades later and researchers must take a whole lifespan approach to understanding brain health in later life.”

Tips for reducing the risk of dementia

1. Keep physically active for at least 30 minutes, five times a week.
2. Don’t smoke, or give up if you do.
3. Eat a healthy balanced diet including oily fish, fruit, vegetables and low levels of red meat and sugar.
4. Keep your alcohol intake to a maximum of 14 units per week for men and women.
5. Manage other health conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes.
6. Keep to a healthy weight to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease.
7. Give your brain a daily workout by doing puzzles, word searches or crosswords or learning something new.
8. Keeping socially engaged and have a good social network.

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Source: BBC

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