Dementia: Early detection for proper intervention

An Binh Hospital doctors are examining a patient with dementia.

Rapid increase in young people

Although she is a careful person with a good memory, for more than a year, Ms. LPH (48 years old, accountant in Ho Chi Minh City) has continuously forgotten meetings, sent wrong reports, and mixed up invoices. At first, her family thought Ms. H. was stressed from work, but when she started to forget the way home and forgot the name of a colleague she had worked with for more than 10 years, her husband decided to take her to a neurologist. The results of MRI and memory tests showed that Ms. H. had signs of early-stage vascular dementia. "I was devastated, I never thought this disease could happen at the age of less than 50," Ms. H. choked up.

According to statistics at end-line hospitals, the number of patients under 60 years old coming to see a doctor due to dementia is increasing (accounting for 25%-30% of the total number of cases coming to see a doctor due to cognitive impairment). Dr. Than Ha Ngoc The, Board of Experts, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said that dementia is a group of cognitive disorders characterized by memory loss, difficulty in expressing language, activities, recognizing objects, etc., greatly affecting the quality of life of the patient, creating a burden for the family and society.

Causes of dementia include: genetics, the effects of diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, Parkinson's disease and long-term drug abuse, especially sedatives and antidepressants. The disease often appears in the elderly but is increasing in young people and is often overlooked. If detected, it is usually when it has entered the moderate to severe stage.

Symptoms of dementia are very diverse. In the mild stage, the patient has short-term memory loss, is more irritable, easily angered and agitated. In the intermediate stage, the patient begins to show difficulties in daily activities such as bathing, dressing, personal hygiene; loses the ability to absorb new information, and has severe disorientation in space and time.

In the severe stage, the patient loses all ability to be independent in daily activities and is completely dependent on the caregiver. The patient loses memory, no longer recognizes family members, and loses the ability to walk.

Maintain regular health screenings

According to Dr. CK2 Tong Mai Trang, Department of Neurology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, early detection of dementia is difficult because the disease often progresses silently, requiring special attention to be recognized. That is also the reason why 75% of dementia cases are undiagnosed globally, and this number can be up to 90% in low-middle income countries. However, it is possible to capture the "golden time" in early detection of dementia through detecting the disease at the stage of mild cognitive impairment - an intermediate stage between people with normal cognition and people with dementia.

To detect this condition, patients need regular health screening. At that time, brain cells have not yet been damaged widely, so the impact slows down the progression of the disease and prolongs the patient's independent life. Early detection and treatment of dementia plays an extremely important role. Patients are prescribed appropriate treatment methods such as: using drugs to increase nerve cell connections, reduce degenerative products in the patient's brain, performing cognitive training methods by writing a daily diary, talking regularly with relatives... When the patient has cognitive activity, blood and metabolism increase. Treatment drugs are supported to reach the diseased area to promote their effectiveness.

Dr. Than Ha Ngoc The said that dementia can be improved if detected early and intervened properly, so it is necessary to improve understanding and prevention of the disease in the community. One should eat a healthy, balanced, nutritious diet, avoid foods high in fat, sugar and salt; increase physical exercise, participate in social activities; always live happily and optimistically...

In addition, limit addictive substances such as alcohol, beer, cigarettes, etc.; treat well associated diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, dyslipidemia, Parkinson's, stroke prevention, etc. "To take good and effective care of people with dementia, families need to show great love because this care process is arduous, long-lasting, and can cause the caregiver to become depressed and under great pressure," Dr. Than Ha Ngoc The advised.

Every 3 seconds, 1 person has dementia.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 57 million people are currently living with dementia worldwide, of which Alzheimer's disease accounts for about 60%-70% of cases. Every 3 seconds in the world, someone has this disease. It is predicted that the number of people with dementia may increase to about 78 million by 2030 and more than 139 million by 2050. In Vietnam, it is estimated that about 600,000 people are living with dementia, and this number is expected to continue to increase with the aging population.

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