Alzheimer’s third leading cause of death

ALZHEIMER’S disease is a huge social and economic burden that has taken on concerning proportions and poses a challenge to Health Ministries around the world, Health Minister Christos Patsalides said yesterday.

Patsalides said it was important that patients with the progressive and fatal brain disease, which is the most common form of dementia and the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer, were located.

Speaking at a news conference at the start of this weekend’s 5th International Conference on Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders in the Middle East in Limassol, doctors said the debilitating disease affected one in 10 adults over the age of 65.

Today six million Europeans had Alzheimer’s and by 2050, 100 million people would suffer from it, reporters heard.

The cost to care for patients was huge and affected carers psychologically and physically as they demand 24 hour care, the doctors said.

“A lot of people become isolated in their effort to protect their loved one from ridicule.”

This weekend’s conference, which began yesterday, will focus attention on dementia and neurodegenerative disorders of the aged in the Middle East, raise scientific, medical and social awareness of these disorders, enhance communication amongst medical and scientific workers in the region and foster and enhance collaboration between health workers and researchers in the Middle East with their counterparts in the US, Europe and other parts of the world.

It is open to participants from all countries including clinical physicians, scientists, representatives of government and social agencies, caregiver and patient organisations, pharmaceutical and biotechnological companies, and other health care professionals with an interest in the aging community of the Middle East.

The Continuing Medical Education (CME) committee of the Cyprus Medical Association will offer eight CME points to attendees.

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