Dementia is increasingly common in the community.

The rate of people with dementia is increasing due to the aging population. The disease can be prevented and even slowed down if treated effectively.

On June 29, Military Hospital 175 coordinated with the Vietnam Alzheimer's and Cognitive Disorders Association to organize a training program for more than 70 doctors and nurses in Ho Chi Minh City.

MSc. Dr. Hoang Tien Trong Nghia, Head of the Department of Neurology, Military Hospital 175, said that dementia and cognitive decline are becoming more common in the community due to the aging population. However, diagnosis and treatment are still difficult because people are not fully aware of the disease. Many people have mild symptoms such as absent-mindedness and lack of concentration but subjectively do not go for medical examination. In addition, there are very few dementia units in hospitals, so diagnosis and specialized treatment are limited.

Therefore, the goal of this training program is to improve the skills of medical staff in identifying and assessing cognitive impairment and dementia in patients, thereby providing appropriate treatment options.

MSc.-MD Hoang Tien Trong Nghia, Head of Department of Neurology, Military Hospital 175 at the training session

According to Dr. Tran Cong Thang, President of the Alzheimer's and Cognitive Disorders Association of Vietnam, dementia is a preventable disease. Early detection and treatment can slow the progression of the disease, even reverse the situation.

According to statistics from the World Alzheimer's and Dementia Federation, every 3 seconds, a person with cognitive impairment progresses to dementia. In Vietnam, in 2022, it is estimated that there will be about 500,000 people with dementia, but 75% are not diagnosed and managed promptly.

The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease increases with age, with about 8% of people aged 60 and older developing the disease, and 17% of people aged 80 and older developing the disease. Some studies have shown that factors such as diabetes, stress, anxiety, chronic depression, high cholesterol, smoking, and lack of social interaction can promote the development of the disease.

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Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/benh-sa-sut-tri-tue-ngay-cang-pho-bien-trong-cong-dong-post746952.html