There are serious health problems that affect the world. Although some remain stable or at least have managed to be controlled, there are also others in which the opposite occurs because they are increasing. Within the list, Alzheimer’s disease stands out, which is already considered the new epidemic of the 21st century. Currently there are 35 million people with this condition, a figure that will double every 20 years. With this, it is expected that by 2030 there will be 65.7 million cases and just over 115 million by 2050, according to the international body Alzheimer’s Disease International.
Current national panorama
While in the case of Mexico it is estimated that approximately 900 thousand people suffer from sporadic Alzheimer’s. However, this figure could rise to one million because a significant number of cases are not reported in health systems, he says. Maria del Carmen Cardenas Aguayo, head of the Laboratory of Cellular Reprogramming and Chronic-Degenerative Diseases of the Department of Physiology of the Faculty of Medicine.
He adds that it is the dementia with the highest prevalence globally and affects the female population more than males. Of every 100 individuals with this disease, 60 are women. Although the reason is not known with certainty, one hypothesis indicates that the longevity of this population group and estrogens would be responsible.
The number of cases could be higher in the near future due to the COVID-19 pandemic, since adults over 65 who suffered from severe forms are more likely to develop Alzheimer-type dementia. The reason is because the SARS-CoV-2 virus can affect the nervous system and cause inflammation, which is related to neurodegeneration.
The specialist specifies that in more than 99 percent of the cases they are sporadic, do not have a genetic component and usually appear after 65 years of age with progressive affectation and only one percent is considered a family or genetic type, It occurs between the ages of 35 and 40, and is usually more aggressive.
In both cases, the maximum survival time is 10 years from the onset of the disease. These are particular mutations in genes that have to do with the aggregation of proteins (PSEN1, PSEN2 and APP), in particular of the beta amyloid peptide.
The lower the schooling, the higher the risk
Indicators of cognitive symptoms include alterations in memory and language. The former are characterized by the presence of frequent forgetfulness, loss of objects or their placement in inappropriate places, repetition of questions and stories. This is due to the fact that the brain region that is affected is the hippocampus, the area responsible for learning and short-term memory, responsible for developing and storing new information.
Cárdenas Aguayo highlights that it is known that less education represents a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s. In Mexico there is a significant number of people with low levels of education, which generates a lower cognitive reserve, a term that refers to the accumulation of experience and the stimulation of mental capacities throughout life. If this disease occurs, the synaptic connections are destroyed, and if there are few, this dementia will manifest itself more quickly.
On the other hand, he continues, if there is a cognitive reserve, the age of onset can be delayed a bit. He mentions that what is known from the studies that have been carried out is that if you have high schooling and a susceptibility to this disease, at least your symptoms will not manifest at a relatively early age, but above 80 years.
How to delay its appearance
For now, 115 years after Alzheimer’s was first described, it has no cure or specific treatments. The only accurate diagnosis is post mortem when detecting the two types of histopathological lesions in the brain: accumulation of neuritic plaques of beta-amyloid peptide and neurofibrillary tangles of tau protein. In addition to making its correlation with the clinical data of the patients, such as cognitive tests.
The university expert points out that to prevent the development of the disease, a healthy diet should be followed that includes fruits and vegetables, especially those with more antioxidants such as red fruits, tomatoes, broccoli, lettuce; seeds such as walnuts, almonds; olive oil, fish, especially red fish such as salmon for its omega 3 content; Or, a daily tablespoon of chia, equivalent to four thousand units of the fatty acid, which could promote the optimal functioning of our neurons.
In addition, perform, at least, 20 minutes of physical activity a day such as walking, and if it is with company, better; play an instrument, learn a new language, study the topics we like, practice cognitive stimulation games. What should be sought is to maintain cardiovascular and brain health.