Dementia becomes a common disease

Dementia becomes a new widespread disease.

(20.09.2010) Dementia is on the way to widespread disease. Experts warn: By 2050, the number of people with dementia will double. A social challenge that not only the health system seems to have grown so far.

Around 35 million people worldwide suffer from the most common form of dementia, Alzheimer's; in Germany it is just under 1.2 million. In the incurable disease, protein deposits in the brain interfere with the transmission of stimuli between the brain cells, causing them to die and the memory of those affected is attacked. Often the personality of the patients changes fundamentally. The symptoms of most dementia illnesses are similar: lack of concentration, temporal and spatial loss of orientation, passivity, helplessness and in case of severe disease care needs around the clock. Learned knowledge is lost and even your own biography is more and more forgotten. Changes or innovations often overwhelm the patients rigorously, so that they sometimes react aggressively .

According to various scientists, such as the Cologne neurologist Prof. Gereon Fink, the number of dementia cases worldwide will not only double in the next forty years, but more than triple - from the current 35 million to 115 million in 2050. „Unfortunately, our society is (...) not well equipped for the huge scale and dimension of the problem“, said the neurologist Prof. Fink, as well as medicine and care in this country still have significant deficits in the treatment of dementia patients. Already with the medicine study lies in the opinion of Prof. Fink „still very much in trouble.“ The physicians and staff needed to be trained to achieve early diagnosis and optimal treatment. For example, if diagnosed early enough, it could be up to three years longer for everyday use before dementia becomes too severe.

With regard to the training of specialist staff, the Cologne neurologist also criticized that it was under „the medical faculties (...) nationwide only six with a chair in geriatrics, the doctrine of aging“ gives. According to him, more facilities would be needed, such as the Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, founded in Bonn in 2009, which explicitly deal with dementia research. This is particularly urgent, as the number of people affected will increase rapidly in the coming years in the course of demographic change. Thus, with the financial support of the Bonn institution of about 90 percent by the Federal Ministry of Research also set a sign for it, „that the federal government is gradually realizing the extent of the problem“, emphasized Prof. Fink. So far, however, in his opinion, neither politics nor society are prepared for the dementia problem.

While around 60 percent of people with dementia are currently cared for by their relatives at home, experts say nurses must make a greater contribution to caring for millions of patients in the future. Because in the long term, the relatives of the burden hardly hold up, said Sabine Jansen of the German Alzheimer's Association (DalzG). The care of those affected „is so exhausting for the relatives that they often fall ill themselves“ stressed Jansen. So far, however, care facilities for many relatives are not an alternative as they expect staff who are familiar with the disease, but according to the DAlzG spokeswoman „Of training often not given“ is.

Dementia is not curable so prevention is the only alternative. However, the experts can not really tell us how it should look like. According to Prof. Fink, there are numerous studies to prove, „that a high level of education “ as well as „a lively mental activity“ protects against dementia, but this helps the sufferers little. Rather, it could be the current approach of Norwegian and British physicians for vitamin treatment of dementia patients. Their study has shown that the use of vitamins B6 and B12 in patients with the „mild cognitive impairment“ (MCI), a type of precursor of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, successfully tested. Thus, the daily intake of vitamins B6 and B12 can slow down the death of brain cells in the above-mentioned risk patients by up to 50 percent. However, the research team led by David Smith of the University of Oxford pointed out that the long-term effects of vitamins must first be investigated to avoid negative consequences, as some vitamins in high doses can cause cancer. Thus, Smith warns against swallowing high doses of vitamins. An equally promising approach, according to Prof. Fink, could offer the study of an American research group, which hopes to strengthen a particular enzyme so that it supports the degradation of harmful protein deposits. However, according to some experts, it will take quite a while until promising treatment methods are ready for use.

Therefore, it is currently primarily about an appropriate approach to the disease ... So has Federal Minister Kristina Schröder today on the occasion of tomorrow's World Alzheimer's Day 2010, the new Internet portal „Signpost dementia“ which offers not only offers for prevention and assistance for already ill patients on the spot. "People with dementia need special care: we must give the sick a voice, support caring relatives and encourage volunteers in their commitment," said the Federal Minister for Family Affairs. For this purpose, the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth wants to create a basis with the Internet portal. Under the link www.wegweiser-demenz.de for the first time comprehensively information and assistance offers in Germany for dementia patients as well as their family members are provided, explained the Minister. (Fp)

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