Never too late to get help on early onset dementia

The ageing of the mind & all its forms, must be addressed sooner than later, say docs

- SREYA DEB

OLD AGE IS like a second childhood - an adage we have heard and seen before our eyes for generations. As our grandparents grow older, their memories often start to wane, their social behaviours tend to change along with limitations to their mobility, disorientation and difficulty making decisions, and more.

All of these are symptoms of dementia, long understood as a brain degenerative condition that affects the elderly. Studies suggest that nearly 8.8 million Indians are diagnosed with dementia, with the number projected to double by 2036. What's more, the incidence of early onset dementia, before the age of 60 or 65 years, is also emerging as a significant public health concern.

Patients getting younger

“The common age for dementia is 65 years or older,” says Dr Rajat Chopra, senior consultant and head of department, neurology at Yatharth Hospital in New Delhi. “Although younger adults are typically less likely to be affected by dementia, it can occur in individuals in their 30s and 40s as well,” he says, noting that such cases are becoming more and more frequent now.

“The rates of dementia and Alzheimer's are growing in India,” he says, adding that “they are driven by population ageing and increasing risk factors like diabetes and hypertension”.

Dr PN Renjen, senior consultant at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, adds, “The increasing number of cases being discovered at an earlier stage has also been attributed to urbanisation and higher life expectancies. More patients are showing up with cognitive problems that start to affect their ability to function socially and professionally at comparatively earlier ages.”