Misconceptions, early warning signs and the latest reseach that offers hope… PatientsEngage interviews Dr.Jacob Roy Kuriakose, Vice President, Alzheimer’s Disease International on the occasion of World Alzheimer’s Month.
62% of people with dementia live in low- and middle-income countries. Why is this? Is it due to lifestyle, diet or lack of awareness? What can be done to lower the numbers?
With increasing life expectancy, number of people with dementia is going up. Another factor could be due to an increase in the risk factors for NCDs (non-communicable diseases) in the LMICs (low and middle income countries). The only realistic way to counter this growing tide is to control the risk factors for NCDS.
You talk about dementia patients and caregivers being marginalised by society. Please share three thoughts that you would like everyone to know. What can we as a society do to make a difference?
There are a number of misconceptions about dementia in society.
- 1. Most see it as part of ageing, hence it is not taken seriously.
- 2. Secondly many people see it as a mental disease; thus there is a lot of stigma attached to the disease. People do not talk openly about it.
- 3. Most people carry a negative attitude towards dementia. They think nothing can be done about dementia. Why waste time and resources on a condition like this?
All this can change with better awareness and understanding.
The state of dementia care in India - how are we doing on a global scale? What are our biggest challenges and what are our plus points?
In terms of number of people with dementia globally, India stands 3rd with over 4 million people with dementia; China has 9 million and USA has 5 million people with dementia.
Our biggest challenge is gross ignorance and total neglect by the government. Our plus point is family support.
What stage is the research and medical profession in their search for a cure?
With huge inputs in dementia research, it is fast moving forward. There are nearly 200 drugs in various stages of research. Unfortunately in the last 10 years there have been no major drug discoveries.
Please share one of the latest treatments or therapies that you think hold the most promise.
NPT088, a new type of therapeutic that includes the General Amyloid Interaction Motif (GAIM), protects cells from protein aggregate toxicity, and targets multiple types of aggregated proteins, including amyloid beta, tau and alpha-synuclein.
Is it possible to slow down or reverse the process of dementia if it is detected early?
Currently available drugs are mostly symptom modifiers. They cannot reverse the process of dementia. Early treatment can help in maintaining the cognition for a reasonable period in many cases.
ADI is teaching people to learn to spot signs of dementia. Please mention three signs that should not be ignored.
- Progressive memory loss affecting daily life
- Difficulty in using language
- Personality changes
A dementia patient may seem unaware of himself and his family members. But does the patient's core personality remain? Should the caregiver continue to pay attention to his likes and dislikes even though the patient seems unaware of it now?
The personality of the patient undergoes definite change. One should definitely pay attention to things that are pleasurable and interesting to the patients. We must respect ‘personhood” of the individual. He/ She must be dealt with dignity and honour.
Your core advice to patients and their caregivers on World Alzheimer's Day in September.
It is very important to get a diagnosis, which is the key to plan life ahead. As much as possible, we try to maintain continuity and allow the individual to live in his/her familiar surroundings. Always remember that he/she is still an individual with feelings.
Caregivers should make sure that they pay attention to their health and ensure that time is found for other activities. This means they should not shy away from seeking outside help. After all, it is a long journey.
To read more on Dementia and ask questions please join our Alzheimer's and Dementia commmunity
