The fact that only 10% of the patients have been diagnosed in Macedonia is terrifying, neurology specialist Gabriela Novotni stated at the Alzheimer's disease and dementia care seminar held in Skopje.
There is no information on the total number of persons suffering from Alzheimer's disease in Macedonia. Rough estimates say that over 20,000 persons suffer from this disease. Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior.
Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. Although the greatest known risk factor is increasing age, and the majority of people with Alzheimer's are 65 and older, Alzheimer's is not just a disease of old age. Up to 5% of people with the disease have early onset Alzheimer's (also known as younger-onset), which often appears when someone is in their 40s or 50s.
"Considering that there are around 400,000 persons over the age of 65 in Macedonia, the total of 20,000 patients is a huge number. According to pharmaceutical statistics, about 2,000 patients are currently undergoing treatment, i.e. only 10% have been properly diagnosed and undergoing treatment. This statistics causes great concern. Families should be more involved in helping these patients, to take them to routine checkups more often, whereas general practitioners should be trained to recognize these symptoms and provide proper care, Novotni further adds.
The youngest registered patient in Macedonia is 37.
"After receiving therapy, the life expectancy of patients would not increase, however the quality of life will greatly improve in future. Thereof, early diagnosis is very important. We have gathered today, doctors and specialists in various fields to discuss dementia issues and treatment from various aspects.", neurology specialist Dr Aben Taravari says.
Life expectancy for persons diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease is around 8 years.
Alzheimer's is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer's, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment. Those with Alzheimer's live an average of eight years after their symptoms become noticeable to others, but survival can range from four to 20 years, depending on age and other health conditions.
Global action is required in order to tackle and raise awareness for the disease.
Deutsche Telekom has made a step in that direction by launching the SEA HERO QUEST mobile app in cooperation with Macedonian Telekom. The free app supports the research for Alzheimer's disease.
Using this app for two minutes provides 5 hours of lab research. Read more on the idea and the concept of the app on: http://seaheroquest.com/mk
There is admittedly a lot we don’t know about Alzheimer’s. About 100 years after its discovery, we still don’t know exactly what causes this neurodegenerative disease and we do not have a cure. However, it is important not to lose sight of how far we have come since Dr. Alois Alzheimer noted the unique symptoms in 1906.