About 900,000 people in France suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, and more than 57 million suffer from it worldwide. But by 2050, that number is expected to triple to 153 million people worldwide, according to a study just published in The Lancet public healthwhich is in line with the estimates announced by the World Health Organization.
While this increase in the number of cases is partly due to the aging of the population and demographic growth, it is also caused by three factors on which it is possible to play: smoking, obesity and diabetes. “There were more women with dementia than men with dementia globally in 2019 and we expect this trend to continue through 2050. Although the gender difference can be explained by partly due to a higher life expectancy in women than in men, previous evidence also suggests potential gender differences in the biological mechanisms that underlie Alzheimer’s disease,” say the authors whose large study was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Cardiovascular disorders increase the risk of developing the disease
Alzheimer’s disease corresponds to a slow degeneration of neurons, which begins in the hippocampus (an area of the brain essential for memory) and then extends to the rest of the cerebral structures. In detail, in the brain of patients, we observe “amyloid deposits”: these “senile plaques” consist of a molecule toxic to nerve cells.
“The” main symptom of Alzheimer’s disease is memory lapses: these disrupt daily life and can affect autonomy. In patients, we can also see executive function disorders: the person can no longer cook, use their phone, plan an appointment… There can also be problems tracking down time and space (what day is it? Where are we?), even language and/or vision disorders.
Several risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease have been identified: in addition to age, there are cardiovascular risk factors (people who suffer from diabetes, hypertension or hyperlipidemia are at increased risk), physical inactivity or cranial microtraumas. The disease is hereditary only in 2% of cases.
The diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is based on questioning the patient and his entourage: the doctor can then carry out a cognitive function test, or even biological examinations (blood test) and/or brain imaging ( MRI…).
Sources:
- Estimation of the global prevalence of dementia in 2019 and forecasted prevalence in 2050: an analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019The Lancet public health, January 2022
- Inserm
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