Typical signs of dementia

On September 21, the Central Geriatric Hospital and the Vietnam Geriatrics Association organized World Alzheimer's Day (a disease that causes memory loss) with the desire to spread the community's concern for people with Alzheimer's disease and dementia .

Professor Pham Thang, Chairman of the Vietnam Geriatrics Association, said Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and can account for up to 70% of cases of memory loss.

Many middle-aged people show signs of dementia.

Vietnam is among the 10 countries with the fastest aging population in the world, with an estimated 1 million people suffering from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The number of people with the disease is increasing, but the rate of diagnosis and treatment is very low.

"In the severe stage, Alzheimer's patients can forget themselves and become completely dependent on their family and relatives. Most patients are managed at home, but our country still does not have programs and services to support patients and caregivers in the community," said Professor Thang.

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thanh Binh, Director of the Memory and Dementia Research Center, Central Geriatric Hospital, many Vietnamese people are still subjective about Alzheimer's disease and dementia. People often think this is a normal aging condition or an old age disease. Only when there are symptoms of memory loss along with other cognitive disorders do patients go to the doctor.

Medical staff conduct an assessment of a patient's memory ability.

Doctors say that in recent years, memory loss and dementia have tended to be younger. Previously, the subjects who came to see a doctor for this disease were mainly over 70 years old, but now there is a large proportion of patients between 50 and 60 years old. About 30-40% of people in this age group have been found to have dementia.

In the future, the hospital will apply blood tests to diagnose Alzheimer's disease, thereby helping patients prevent and treat it promptly.

According to doctors, the first typical signs of dementia include memory loss; confusion about the location of objects and difficulty finding them again; confusion about time and place; reduced judgment; impact on the patient's daily activities; reduced ability to solve problems and make decisions; changes in emotions and personality (disorders in word usage)... Therefore, when there are signs of prolonged forgetfulness, increased forgetfulness, emotional and behavioral disorders, you should see a doctor soon.

Statistics in Vietnam show that in 2019 there were 531,000 people with dementia, and this number is expected to triple, to 1.8 million people, by 2050.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/suc-khoe/dau-hieu-dien-hinh-nhan-biet-sa-sut-tri-tue-20230921154143295.htm