As number of sufferers over 60 increases globally
THERE has been a marked increase in the number of persons over 60 suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) globally.
But, according to Dr. Gershwin Davis, a lecturer in the Unit of Pathology at the University of the West Indies’ Faculty of Medical Sciences, even though the disease may be prevalent here in Trinidad and Tobago, there are no real statistics to get a true idea of the prevalence of the disease.
Anatomy Professor at the UWI Amanda McRae said they are currently in the process of developing an approach to finding out the number of persons living with the disease in this country.
This, she said, would be the first step in beginning to treat with the problem.
“We don’t know but we need to know and we need to start at a community level because sometimes it’s difficult to determine because the affected persons are being cared for by a loved one.”
Global statistics have shown that every 71 seconds someone develops Alzheimer’s and today approximately 30 million people worldwide suffer from the disease.
According to information from the Alzheimer’s Association in the United States, it is the sixth leading cause of death. Those who develop the disease can live an average of eight years after their symptoms are detected by others, but survival can range from four to 20 years depending on the person’s age and other health conditions.
The most common early symptoms of Alzheimer’s are difficulty remembering newly learned information because Alzheimer’s changes begin in the part of the brain that affects learning.
As Alzheimer’s advances throughout the brain, it leads to increasingly severe symptoms, including disorientation, mood and behaviour changes; deepening confusion about events, time and place; unfounded suspicions about family, friends and professional caregivers; more serious memory loss and behaviour changes; and difficulty speaking, swallowing and walking.
At present, Alzheimer’s is progressive and irreversible, meaning that there is no known cure for it and once it is developed, it worsens over time.
There are treatments currently available in other parts of the world for the disease but the treatments cannot stop it from progressing. They can, however, temporarily slow the worsening of dementia symptoms and improve quality of life.
In 2003, Professor McRae, along with colleagues Dr. Davis and Dr. Nelleen Baboolal, began a research project which could eventually lead to breakthrough results and ultimately establish biomarkers for the disease.
Professor McRae said what they are doing is attempting to develop a simple blood test to achieve this.
If this approach is successful, it could mean that there would be a universal means to distinguish AD from other dementias, resulting in a shift in healthcare maintenance of elderly persons.
Professor McRae said AD affects more than just the person with the disease and remains hopeful that the research can one day help in the early detection and, perhaps, greater awareness of the disease.
“We need to understand that the caregivers are bearing all the stress so we need to know who they are and where they are to better prepare the country to deal with the problem. “There is great hope that someday we can detect Alzheimer’s before it gets into that cosmic decline state.”
