Düzce University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology Head Assoc. Prof. Dr. Burcu Polat said, “Turkey is no longer a young country. While the incidence rate of Alzheimer's disease over the age of 65 is around 5 percent, it increases to 40 percent in the 90s.
Starting her words by saying that Alzheimer's disease is a dementia syndrome, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Burcu Polat said, “It starts insidiously in the brain and leads to progressive losses in many cognitive functions, especially memory functions. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia and accounts for approximately 60-70 percent of all dementias. It is characterized by the gradual destruction of the connections between nerve cells as a result of the accumulation of certain substances in the brain. Over time, nerve cells lose their function completely and the brain shrinks. This process is known to start 15-20 years before the symptoms appear.”
Stating that forgetfulness is the most common symptom of Alzheimer's disease, Polat said that other symptoms such as speech disorder, behavior and reasoning problems are also observed. Emphasizing that not every forgetfulness should be called dementia, Polat said that in order for forgetfulness to be called dementia, it must be severe enough to affect or disrupt the daily life activities of the patients.
The importance of early diagnosis
Emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis, Burcu Polat said, “Today, we have gained some predictions about Alzheimer's disease by tracing some substances in the blood. However, this is still a very new development and needs to be supported by further studies. The aim is to make accurate predictions and follow-ups with blood taken from the fingertip. In this respect, we can say that we have entered a promising period.
With early diagnosis, it may be possible to provide the right medical approach to patients and their relatives and also to help them manage the legal processes that may arise. For the time being, progression can be slowed down in cases caught in the very early stages of Alzheimer's disease. However, it does not seem possible to completely eliminate the disease.”
Genetic predisposition
Stating that genetic predisposition is important but can rarely be a cause alone, Polat said, “Aging itself (especially the group over 65) is a major risk factor for dementia. According to the data in our country, the elderly population rate is 10.2 percent as of 2023. So Turkey is no longer a young country. While the incidence rate of Alzheimer's disease is around 5 percent over the age of 65, it increases to 40 percent in the 90s. Other risk factors are low education level, hypertension, diabetes, hearing impairments, obesity, smoking, depression, physical inactivity, poor social relations, air pollution, excessive alcohol consumption and head trauma. Socioeconomic life and health policies in our country should be shaped according to these data.”
İHA Haber Kodu: 20240923AW293513