Its frequency in people over 65 years old is 5%. It doubles every 5 years and reaches 30% in people over 90 years old, while women appear to be more affected than men.

 

It is estimated that about the one third of people over 85 years old have Alzheimer's disease. In Greece, at least 150,000 people suffer from this disease. It is the fourth cause of death after heart disease, cancer and stroke.

It is a slowly progressive disease, and the onset of symptoms can take several forms.

 

The most common symptoms observed by both the patient themselves and their relatives affect:

In the final stage, the patient does not speak, does not understand, is in psychomotor agitation, can not get dressed or eat on their own, cannot move and becomes permanently confined to bed.

Based on existing scientific evidence, dementia is the result of a genetic predisposition, which, under the influence of appropriate environmental factors, leads to the onset of the disease.

 

Scientifically documented risk factors include alcohol, vitamin B12 or B9 (folate) deficiency, thyroid dysfunction (hypothyroidism). On the other side, cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure (arterial hypertension), diabetes mellitus, and hypercholesterolemia lead to specific types of dementia such as the vascular dementia.

The prevention of dementia includes the reduction of the risk factors mentioned above. In recent years, the concept of cognitive exercise and mental empowerment has been expressed by scientific circles, according to which an sharp brain is considered more protected towards the onset of the disease. As it is said in everyday life, "use it or lose it".

A detailed examination by a neurologist is required, who will recommend a series of examinations, such as complete hematology and biochemical tests, thyroid function tests, tests vitamin B12, folic acid, etc., depending on the profile of each patient. At the same time, they will perform specific neuropsychological measurements with various scales and will judge whether the patient needs a brain imaging with CT or MRI scan.

 

It is noted that very often the symptoms of the patient can be explained by the existence of another neurological or pathological disease or drug intake that affects the cognitive functions.

Until now, there is no causal treatment for the disease.

 

There is no treatment available that would stop the degeneration of nerve cells or reconstruct damaged nerve tissue. There are, however, several symptomatic treatments that enhance the neuronal function. The purpose of these treatments is to slow down the cognitive decline as much as possible.

 

A crucial role is also played by the education of the patient, but much more by the caregivers - his relatives in specific issues of the disease that will be of concern for the daily routine of both. Basic rules such as not treating the patient and not punishing him, respecting his old habits, asking for his opinion (eg what he wants to eat), giving them time to do is one of the many issues to which the people next to the patient should be able to withstand and be able to respond to the psychological burden of the disease which in the final stages is often unbearable.

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