World Alzheimer's Day: Why should We Worry about Alzheimer¡¯s

Alzheimer¡¯s, the most common form of dementia, has often been thought to strike those over 60 years of age. While that is largely true, recent trends have shown that the symptoms are beginning to manifest themselves even in those in their 50s.
It used to be a disease that afflicted only the very old. Alzheimer¡¯s is a common form of dementia, in which a person¡¯s cognitive reasoning abilities, memory, thought processes and behaviour are affected. Even today, as the disease progresses silently and claims several victims around the world, the awareness of what Alzheimer¡¯s disease is and how it can wreak havoc on a person¡¯s life is relatively low.
Says Madhur Parashar (52), a Mumbai-based social activist, ¡°My neighbours would keep their 70-year-old Alzheimer¡¯s-afflicted mother locked up in her room. The only time anybody would enter her room would be to give her meals and medicines thrice a day. They were ashamed of her erratic behaviour, and that she did not recognise her own children. We tried intervening several times, telling them that she needed human interaction and that they should not keep her locked up, but to no avail.¡±
This is hardly an isolated case, but on the other hand, several families are unable to cope with the demands of an Alzheimer¡¯s-afflicted person. ¡°The disease is often diagnosed too late, by which time the illness has progressed to a level where the person is unable to perform most bodily functions, or even eat and drink without assistance,¡± says Dr Manoj Shandilya, a neurologist. ¡°Patients normally don¡¯t recognise anybody, and their memories are restricted to their childhood and younger years.¡±
Alarmingly, India is showing a growing propensity for Alzheimer¡¯s ¨C it is estimated that by 2030, India will be listed in the Top 5 countries for most numbers of Alzheimer¡¯s patients, and early onset Alzheimer¡¯s (where symptoms manifest from age 40 onwards) patients will be a significant percentage of these numbers. ¡°Apart from our genes, our lifestyles, whether we are engaging in constructive mental activity or not, whether we are exercising enough and eating the right food, all of these will determine if we are at risk or not,¡± Dr Shandilya says. ¡°There is no saying who will be struck by it and at what age, but we must all be aware of its symptoms and treatment.¡±
The growing problem of Alzheimer¡¯s
Doctors believe that early onset of Alzheimer¡¯s happens mostly to people who carry the Alzheimer¡¯s gene. There is also growing consensus that developing nations, especially people in the urban areas, are more prone to early onset. Stress, lack of exercise, poor nutrition, lack of time for hobbies and recreation may all contribute to early ageing and hence, Alzheimer¡¯s.
However, the problem is still largely restricted to populations aged 60 years and above, of which India has the largest demographic in the world after China. ¡°The worrying fact is that despite the numbers, our city has no senior-citizen and Alzheimer¡¯s-friendly policies or infrastructure,¡± says gerontology counsellor Sailesh Mishra of Silver Innings Foundation, Mumbai. ¡°We will have a very huge number of senior citizens in the future, and with greater longevity, many of us may live past the age of 85 years. We need a city-wide and country-wide roadmap to deal with the large numbers of dementia patients and create facilities for their care and treatment,¡± he adds.

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