EVERY SEVEN SECONDS, ONE NEW CASE OF DEMENTIA REPORTED

PETALING JAYA, Sept 22 (Bernama) -- More than 50,000 people in Malaysia are suffering from Alzheimer's, a disease that alters the brain, causing impaired memory, thinking, behaviour and functional activity, an expert said Sunday.

Chairman of Alzheimer's Disease Foundation Malaysia (ADFM), Dr Yim
Khai Kee said out of 10 patients, nine were below 65 years old.

He said Alzheimer's Disease International indicated that every seven
seconds, one new case of dementia, one of the causes of Alzheimer's, was
reported, meaning that 4.6 million of the world's population were suffering from
the disease each year.

"The most common early sign and symptom of Alzheimer's is the loss of
short-term memory, such as forgetting what they ate for breakfast on that day,"
he said after attending a health talk organised by ADFM here Sunday in
conjunction with World Alzheimer's Day.

He said currently Alzheimer's could not be cured, but the earlier it was
diagnosed and treated, the better for the patient and his/her
family.


"We cannot cure the patients from the disease, but we can help them lead
quality life until they die," he added.

Dr Yim said that Alzheimer's not only affect the patient himself, but was
known to place a great burden on families, whether socially, psychologically or
economically.

On the health talk, he said it was held to teach families or
care-givers how to handle and manage their parent's or whoever affected by the
disease.

Meanwhile, one of the speakers, Dr Yau Weng Keong who deliverd a talk
titled "Current AD Treatment and Can We Prevent AD" said there were many ways to
prevent the disease.

"Eat more vegetables and fish, exercise regularly, reduce anger, have fun,
relax, laugh, have a good attitude, keep studying to train the mind, and keep
involving in social activities," he advised.
-- BERNAMA