Doctors Express Early Symptoms Of Alzheimer's That Are Often Unrecognized By Many People

Illustration of Alzheimer's Symptoms (Photo: Freepik/krakenimages.com)

JAKARTA - Alzheimer's disease is still one of the big challenges in the medical world. Although a lot of research has been done, there is no cure that can really cure this disease.

However, according to Dr. Yeni Quinta Mondiani, a lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, IPB University, the risk of Alzheimer's can be suppressed with a healthy and active lifestyle.

During the commemoration of World Alzheimer's Day, Dr. Yeni explained that Alzheimer's is the most common type of dementia, which is around 60'80 percent of all cases of dementia in the world.

"Dementia is a collection of symptoms of decreased brain ability which is severe enough to interfere with daily activities," he said, quoted from the IPB University page.

He added that the cognitive function does not only include memory, but also attention, the ability to recognize shapes and directions, language skills, thinking skills and decisions.

Apart from Alzheimer's, vascular dementia is also quite common. This type is usually related to blood vessel disorders in the brain, for example due to stroke.

Dr Yeni explained that Alzheimer's dementia generally appears at the age of 65 and has more cases in developed countries.

The main cause is the buildup of abnormal proteins in the brain called beta amyloids. In a small part of cases, genetic mutations can cause Alzheimer's to appear earlier until before the age of 65.

"The symptoms begin with a heavy decrease in memory, followed by a decrease in other thinking functions. Over time, patients can find it difficult to carry out simple activities such as dress, eat, or talk," he explained.

According to Dr. Yeni, this disease develops slowly but surely, and gets worse with age.

Although there is no cure yet, Dr Yeni emphasized that a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the risk.

He suggests staying active, managing stress, not smoking, limiting alcohol, and controlling diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.

"The healthy lifestyle is the main bulwark to fight Alzheimer's. Preventing is much better than waiting until brain function has decreased." concluded Dr Yeni.