Call For Speedier Dementia Diagnosis From Alzheimer's Charity, UK

Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia
Article Date: 06 Jun 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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Up to two-thirds of people in England with dementia are never diagnosed as they do not recognise the symptoms. Elderly people suffering from memory loss need to act more quickly in seeking medical advice, says The Alzheimer's Society.

It is estimated by 2025 more than 1m people in the country will have dementia. The Department of Health is backing the Alzheimer's Society campaign to raise public awareness of symptoms and the importance of an early diagnosis.

Health Minister Ivan Lewis said: "Dementia is now one of the most significant health challenges facing our society. That is why we are determined to bring dementia out of the shadows."

Currently 700,000 people in the UK live with the disease and one-in-three people over the age of 65 will die with it.

There are more than 100 different types. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type, affecting 62% of those diagnosed. Others include vascular dementia and mixed dementia.

For those who do report their symptoms to the GP, it takes an average of nearly three years for a diagnosis from first noticing symptoms, the Alzheimer's Society said.

Neil Hunt, its chief executive, said: "There is an acute lack of awareness and understanding of dementia. By encouraging people who are worried about their memory problems to seek medical advice sooner than they might have done, we hope more people with dementia can get care early on, giving them a greater chance to live life as well and as fully as possible."

He added that people could reduce their risk of dementia by cutting down on salt, eating lots of fruit and vegetables, keeping active and watching their weight.

The Alzheimer's Society is giving GPs in England posters and leaflets to raise awareness about the issue and a toolkit to support diagnosis.
A recent study by the National Audit Office found only 30% of GPs feel that they have enough basic information and training to diagnose and manage the disease.

Professor Steve Field, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said it could be hard to diagnose dementia but patients would be encouraged to visit their GP if they had concerns: "There are treatable causes of memory loss and GPs are always happy to see patients who are concerned and we can reassure them and if not we can offer treatment and support."

Around 700,000 Britons currently suffer from dementia, with most victims afflicted by Alzheimer's disease.

The cost of dealing with dementia will more than double to £40 billion a year by 2026, driving health and social care systems to the point of collapse, according to a major study by the King's Fund health charity. It says there will be almost a million Alzheimer's and other dementia victims in England alone by 2026.

A new study shows that a diet high in omega-3, found in fish and some oils, can reduce the chance of developing Alzheimer's by a 60%.

Even eating oily fish once a week can cut the risk of developing Alzheimer's by a third, while eating fruit and vegetables every day reduces the chances of getting dementia in old age by almost 30%, says the study, published in the Journal of Neurology.

Omega-3 oils are thought to be beneficial because the outer membranes of nerve cells are largely made up of them.

Previous population studies have suggested that a diet rich in fatty fish such as tuna, mackerel and herring is beneficial in older people at risk of dimentia, but not all studies have found the same beneficial effects.

The new research followed 8,085 people over 65 for at least four years. At the start of the study, in France, the researchers examined the participants - residents of Montpelier, Dijon and Bordeaux - for signs of dementia and asked them to fill in a questionnaire about their eating habits. The psychiatric examination was repeated every two years. By the end of the study 281 of the subjects had developed signs of dementia, including 183 cases of Alzheimer's.

The team drew three main conclusions. First, omega-3 oils - which most of the participants got through salad dressing - were associated with a 60% drop in dementia risk. The team also found 30% drop in dementia risk among regular fruit and vegetable eaters.

Lastly, they found that regular fish consumption reduced the risk of Alzheimer's by 35%, but only if subjects did not have a known genetic risk factor for the disease.

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