2023-08-13 03:01:09
More than 55 million people worldwide are thought to have dementia. Each year, approximately 10,000 new cases are diagnosed.
This pathology brings together several diseases that impact memory, thinking and the ability to perform daily tasks. For example, Alzheimer’s disease is counted as a form of dementia. This would be the cause of 60 to 70% of cases.
It is important to note that dementia is the seventh leading cause of death worldwide and one of the main causes of disability and dependency among the elderly.
Dementia can be caused by certain diseases which, over time, destroy nerve cells and damage the brain, usually resulting in impaired cognitive function (the ability to process thought) beyond the usual expected consequences of dementia. biological aging.
Several factors can promote the onset of dementia as listed by the WHO:
However, some warning signsas neuroscience professor Mark Dallas recently explained in The Conversation, can warn regarding the possibility of developing a form of dementia later.
Anxiety might predict an individual’s propensity to develop a form of dementia
English journalist and broadcaster Fiona Phillips, 62, recently revealed that she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. And in an interview with the Daily Mirror, the woman revealed the main symptoms she had experienced before her diagnosis: a feeling of brain fog and anxiety.
In response to this, Professor Mark Dallas explained in The Conversation that indeed, anxiety can be a warning sign of dementia “Some people with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease may also experience increased anxiety before their diagnosis. It may be due to an awareness of the changes happening, without a clear reason why they feel different. »
He also points out that in reality, the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (being qualified as a form of dementia), are felt at a young age: “Firstly, the symptoms begin much earlier – as early as the age of 30 years in some rare cases, although they are usually diagnosed between the ages of 50 and 64. »
Early signs of Alzheimer’s disease: should you be worried?
Having early signs of Alzheimer’s disease can be a good thing for diagnosing it, but it predicts a more serious form of the disease. Alzheimer’s disease at a later stage according to the expert: “Studies have indicated that people with Alzheimer’s disease at an early stage show more rapid changes in their brains. This indicates that the disease may be more aggressive than late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. This may also explain why people with early Alzheimer’s disease tend to have a life expectancy regarding two years shorter than those with late Alzheimer’s disease. »
Who is most at risk?
Early-stage Alzheimer’s disease is therefore more serious than late-stage Alzheimer’s disease. “Research shows that people with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease are also more aware of changes in their brain activity. This can lead to behavioral changes – conditions such as depression being prevalent in this group.
According to him, those most at risk of developing an early form of the disease are those with lower levels of cardiovascular fitness and cognitive abilities, in early adulthood. These data were associated with an “eight times higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease at an early stage”.
How to act to limit the risks?
The professor, however, wants to be reassuring by specifying that it is possible to act despite genetics, which unfortunately is an immutable parameter of the body: “Although it is not possible to modify genetics if you are more at risk , some research supports the idea that you can build resilience once morest disease through a healthier lifestyle. A study found that when people genetically predisposed to early-onset Alzheimer’s disease exercised for more than two and a half hours a week, they performed better on memory tests than those who didn’t. were not as physically active.
Diet, according to the expert, is also a factor on which it is possible to act to limit the risk of the onset of the disease: “An Italian study revealed that people who consumed high amounts of vegetables, dried fruit and chocolate seemed to pose a lower risk. »
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