The neurologist José Tatay has stated that “unfortunately” there is no cure for Alzheimer’s diseasebut current treatments can slow the progression of symptoms and improve quality of life, especially in the early and moderate phases of the disease.”
Alzheimer’s disease is a pathology very present in advanced age. Its initial symptoms often go unnoticed, since can be confused with cognitive impairment associated with age, due to the natural aging process of the brain, as commented by Dr. Magraner, neurologist at Vithas Castellón.
As the specialist explained, It is necessary to try to identify some particularities that can warn that the symptoms that the patient presents could be due to a primary neurodegenerative process and added that “these symptoms could be forgetting recently learned information that is relatively simple for the patient’s intellectual level and age; difficulty planning or solving problems, as well as organizing and executing simple, everyday tasks; disorientation of time and place and, finally, difficulty understanding visual images.”
Likewise, we must add to these symptoms problems with speech and naming, that is, progressive impoverishment of language, difficulty finding common words and usual and proper names of acquaintances. In addition, loss of personal belongings or involuntary deposit of these in wrong places.
Prevalence of diagnoses
As Dr. Tatay has pointed out, “although Alzheimer’s disease usually appears in patients over sixty years of age and Its prevalence increases exponentially with ageand only ten percent of the forms of this process begin before the sixth decade, in the event of any of these symptoms it is advisable to consult with a neurologist to be studied.”
The doctor has assured that the treatment It is usually more effective when given in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. “During these initial phases, medications can help improve cognitive function, memory, and the ability to perform daily activities. Although they do not stop the progression of the disease, they can slow the progression of symptoms and provide an additional period of independence for the patient,” he added.
Tatay noted that “although current treatments do not cure Alzheimer’s disease, they can be effective in slowing the progression of symptoms, especially if administered in the early stages of the disease. The types of medication vary depending on the stage of Alzheimer’s, with different approaches for the mild, moderate and severe phases”.
Early diagnosis
Dr. Carlos Vilar, a neurologist at Vithas Castellón, has assured that among the most important advances in Alzheimer’s disease in recent years are fundamentally the tools that allow an early diagnosis of the disease, through the study of the cerebrospinal fluid, neuroimaging, and in the not too distant future blood that allows this diagnosis in the initial stages of the disease.
“Then The new treatments will be more effective, treatments that will allow us, if not to cureif slowing down the progress of the disease. “These drugs will allow us to eliminate from the brain the abnormal protein that is deposited in it and causes the symptoms of the disease,” he said.
Specialists agree that it is important to take care of the brain with habits such as take care of your diet with a healthy dietavoiding tobacco and alcohol, and staying active physically and mentally, with cognitive stimulation marked by professionals.
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