Alzheimer’s disease makes mark in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 28: With Kerala's population fast greying due to increase in life expectancy and decline in growth rate, Alzheime...

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 28: With Kerala’s population fast greying due to increase in life expectancy and decline in growth rate, Alzheimer’s disease has emerged as a major health problem.

Various studies revealed that at least five per cent of the elderly population in the state was affected by Alzheimer’s, a degenerative brain disease which affects memory, thinking, behaviour and emotion.As the disease progressed the affected individual becomes increasingly dependent on others for help in daily life. The period of dependency may last for many years.

There had been a profound lack of awareness of Alzheimer’s disease in the country even among health professionals, according to Dr Jacob Roy, vice chairman of the Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), London. This had prompted Prabhakaran Muthana of the southern film institute to make a 30-minute documentary on the disease.

The documentary, a preview of which was held here today, was to create an awareness among the public about the disease.Dr Roy saidIndia had more than 60 million people aged 60 years and above. Of them, it was estimated that three million people were affected with dementia, an illness that causes the brain cells to die at a faster rate than normal. The Alzheimer’s and related disorders society of India (ARDSI) proposed to set up a national institute for dementia care, training and research at Kochi.