Identifying personal dementia risks can help to head off symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease and help more people to stay healthier in old age, doctors said.
As the latest global report by Alzheimer’s Disease International is published, medical professionals working with people with brain degeneration said it is never too early to take preventative measures.
By tackling 12 proven risk factors identified by scientific research, dementia could be delayed or its progression slowed, according to the report, released on World Alzheimer's Day.
It is crucial that we continue to advance our arsenal of tools to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, even if only by a few years
Dr Howard Fillit,
chief science officer, Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation
“Some of these risk factors require a degree of personal choice from individuals, like smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, while others require government action, like air quality, and access to education,” said Paola Barbarino, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Disease International.
“The old adage states that prevention is better than cure – and in the absence of a cure, risk reduction is the best tool we’ve currently got available."
The Lancet medical journal in 2020 first drew up a hit list of 12 proven risk factors for the condition.
These were smoking, physical inactivity, excessive alcohol consumption, air pollution, head injury, infrequent social contact, less education, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, depression, and hearing impairment.
In up to 40 per cent of cases, the onset of dementia could be prevented altogether by identifying certain risk factors and taking precautions well in advance.
The World Alzheimer’s Report 2023 draws on insights from approximately 90 high-profile researchers, healthcare professionals, policymakers, people living with dementia and carers to help understand dementia risk.
If these risks are addressed, the measures could lead to a significant reduction in the number of global cases of dementia, the report said.
Dr Eleni Margioti, a clinical neuropsychologist at the Aviv Clinic in Dubai where hyperbaric oxygen therapy is being used to reverse the effects of brain degeneration, said research was helping medical professionals to diagnose dementia at an earlier stage.
“What I've seen over the last 15 years, is there are more Alzheimer's associations worldwide, including Dubai and the UAE,” said Dr Margioti, who has worked as a scientific supervisor in day care-centres for people with dementia.
“This is the key element for raising awareness and what we are missing. What we also need is better prevention.
“The preclinical stage of dementia starts almost 20 years before the age of 60, or before the onset of the disease.
“If in these 20 years we have the tools to identify symptoms, like for example, subjective cognitive complaints, they are very important.”
Subjective cognitive complaints refer to everyday memory and related cognitive concerns expressed by people.
“We have different symptoms that can give us a better estimation and understanding of the dementia,” Dr Margioti said.
“It is never too late, and never too early. This means that prevention is the most important key.”
Misdiagnosis
Currently, 55 million people worldwide are estimated to be living with some kind of dementia, while two thirds of people still mistakenly believe it is a normal part of ageing.
Post-diagnosis risk reduction can also help to slow the progression of dementia in those already diagnosed with the condition.
Doctors said it was vital that information and advice was clear and understandable, and that lifestyle changes were accessible and affordable for everyone to reduce the number of dementia cases in future.
Although the condition can be difficult to diagnose, dementia treatment is improving, Dr Margioti said.
“We explore the five main cognitive domains like memory attention, information processing speed, executive functions, frontal lobe functions like multi-tasking and cognitive flexibility, and language,” Dr Margioti said.
“We also assess their ability to speak, understand and comprehend.
“After this, we administer a mood and anxiety assessment because we want to see how is this person at the time of the assessment.
“There is what we call pseudodementia.
“Someone can have depression, and they cannot remember because of the depressive symptoms, not because of cognitive decline and the pathological, underlying conditions in their brain. We have to differentiate.”
Oxygen therapy
Early research conducted by the Aviv Clinic has shown promise in how hyperbaric oxygen therapy can reduce the effects of Alzheimer’s disease by improving cerebral blood flow and flooding the brain with oxygen.
Although ineffective in severe degeneration, research has shown it to be effective in delaying the worsening of conditions after an early diagnosis, but the treatment is expensive.
Despite recent advances in disease-modifying drugs, which have given hope to many people living with dementia, affordable treatments for all variants of the condition are some way off entering the mainstream.
Drugs used for heart problems – isosorbide mononitrate and cilostazol – have shown promise in treating a lacunal stroke that is associated with almost half of all dementias.
Meanwhile, the drug Leqembi has been approved for use in the US after research found it slowed progression of those with early signs of Alzheimer’s by up to 27 per cent.
“It is crucial that we continue to advance our arsenal of tools to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, even if only by a few years,” said Dr Howard Fillit, co-founder and chief science officer of the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation.
“Any delay of disease onset makes a tremendous difference in patients’ lives.”
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Where to apply
Applicants should send their completed applications - CV, covering letter, sample(s) of your work, letter of recommendation - to Nick March, Assistant Editor in Chief at The National and UAE programme administrator for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, by 5pm on April 30, 2020.
Please send applications to nmarch@thenational.ae and please mark the subject line as “Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism (UAE programme application)”.
The local advisory board will consider all applications and will interview a short list of candidates in Abu Dhabi in June 2020. Successful candidates will be informed before July 30, 2020.
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Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
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SPECS
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'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
The five pillars of Islam
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MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
The details
Heard It in a Past Life
Maggie Rogers
(Capital Records)
3/5
The specs: 2019 BMW i8 Roadster
Price, base: Dh708,750
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Name: Kumulus Water
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Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
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Director: Lee Isaac Chung
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Biog
Age: 50
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Favourite dish: “Everything and sea food”
Hobbies: Drawing, basketball and poetry
Favourite car: Any classic car
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Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
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Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
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RESULT
Arsenal 0 Chelsea 3
Chelsea: Willian (40'), Batshuayi (42', 49')
The five pillars of Islam
How to vote
Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.
They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi
Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday)
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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
