The number of older people in the world is increasing, and the number of people who have Alzheimer’s disease and dementia is also increasing year by year! This is an issue that the whole world must pay attention to.
New York, NY (The CTP News) – Dementia is one of the leading causes of disability in older adults. A report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) in September 2021 pointed out that the global population suffering from dementia continues to increase. More than 55 million people are currently living with dementia, and the number of people with dementia worldwide is expected to increase to 78 million in 2030 and 139 million in 2050.
The report pointed out that stroke, brain injury, or Alzheimer’s disease can all-cause dementia. In the world’s population over 65, 8.1% of women and 5.4% of men have dementia. The disease can also occur under 65, and approximately 10% of patients worldwide have early-onset dementia.
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the main causes of dementia. Approximately 60% to 70% of dementia patients worldwide come from Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease, and most patients are over 65 years old. The onset of this disease is slow and usually worsens over time. The true cause of Alzheimer’s disease is still unknown, and some experts believe that the disease is mainly genetically related.
Why does Alzheimer’s disease need to be taken seriously? In the United States, Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that there are currently approximately 6 million Alzheimer’s patients in the United States, and the number of patients may increase to 13 million by 2050.
On the other hand, according to Xinhua News Agency’s report, there are currently 10 million Alzheimer’s patients in China, and it is estimated that by 2050, it will exceed 40 million. These data highlight the threat of Alzheimer’s disease to humans, and the number of patients with this disease will only increase in the future.
Currently, there is no complete cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, doctors can only give supplementary treatments to the mental and cognitive symptoms occurring at different disease stages. In the continuous development of the disease, people can only delay the course of the disease or slow down the symptoms as much as possible.
The most common early symptom of Alzheimer’s disease is the loss of short-term memory. Other symptoms may gradually appear as the disease progresses, including language disorders, disorientation, emotional instability, inability to take care of themselves, and various behavioral problems. Even though the course of the disease is different for each person, when the condition worsens, the patient loses bodily functions and eventually leads to death.
How to deal with Alzheimer’s disease? Do some activities to stimulate the brain and train cognitive abilities! According to Rush University Medical Center research, in old age, to read, write letters, play card games or puzzle activities, and try to keep your brain active, may delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
With the increasing number of senior citizens globally, more and more countries have become aging societies and are about to become super-aged societies. People should pay more attention to health and care about long-term care resources and costs.