Alzheimer's used to be a disease mostly found in developing countries, but underdeveloped countries have to be aware of the disease now too. It isn't the case that people in poorer countries are unable to get Alzheimer's disease, it is more that they didn't know what the symptoms were. They assumed that a "weak brain" or "tired brain" was just something that happened with old age. These countries are now realizing that dementia is a very serious and fatal disease, not just the aging process. They are also realizing that things they never dealt with previously, such as obesity, high cholesterol, and diabetes can be high risk factors for Alzheimer's.
If the World Health Report is correct in it's projections of the number of people living with Alzheimer's doubling every year, then we have a problem on our hands. Alzheimer's has no cure and no treatments that can reverse the affects of the disease. Research is being done, but no clinical trials have proven successful. Funding needs to be doubled if they want to make any progress in the upcoming years, but this may be impossible due to the new health care reforms going through legislation.
I think this is a very fascinating story, especially with the figures being thrown out there that over 115 million people may suffer from Alzheimer's worldwide in 2050. Furthermore, I know that these poorer and underdeveloped countries affected by Alzheimer's will not be able to fund, study, or research the disease themselves. Thus, it is very important that more funding is provided to deal with Alzheimer's research and treatment not just through US efforts, but by the World Health Organization or United Nations, as the story does suggest that the problem exists worldwide.
ReplyDelete