One of the main risk factors for Alzheimer’s It’s age. According to the Ministry of Health, the disease is the most common form of neurodegenerative dementia in elderly people and is more common after the age of 65. However, there are some rare cases in which signs of the disease may appear earlier, from the age of 50 and, in even less frequent situations, from the age of 40. This condition is called Early Alzheimer’s .
According to Paulo Bertolucci, professor at the Escola Paulista de Medicina at the Federal University of São Paulo (EPM/Unifesp), the Early-onset Alzheimer’s is defined as a neurodegenerative disease diagnosed before age 65 and no family history in the family. “Generally, people who have a family history of Alzheimer’s can develop the disease earlier, before the age of 65. However, most people with early-onset Alzheimer’s do not have cases in their family,” he says.
According to the expert, the main risk factors for the development of early Alzheimer’s include cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, physical inactivity, obesity and poor sleep quality. “A person who has a disorder such as apnea or insomnia may have lower quality of sleep, making it difficult to reach the deep phase of sleep, increasing the accumulation of proteins in the brain that are related to Alzheimer’s”, he explains.
Signs and symptoms of early Alzheimer’s
Warning signs and symptoms of early Alzheimer’s are not distinct from late-onset disease . However, they may manifest differently in younger people . According to Bertolucci, in the elderly, difficulties related to memory are the first signs of Alzheimer’s, followed by other neurodegenerative symptoms related to language, motor difficulties and behavioral changes.
“In younger people, the first signs may appear in language. In other words, people may begin to have progressive difficulty finding words or experience aphasia. [disfunção de linguagem que afeta a capacidade de compreender, falar, escrever, ler e fazer gestos]”, says the expert. “Afterwards, they may experience changes in behavior and, in rarer cases, visual difficulties”, he adds.
However, Bertolucci reinforces that there are cases in which memory-related difficulties may be the first warning signs. “Even when early Alzheimer’s begins to manifest itself through memory, language quickly becomes a greater difficulty,” he says.
According to the professor, this difference happens because the elderly are more vulnerable, due to the natural aging process, to suffering from changes in memory, while in younger people this risk is lower.
How to diagnose and treat early Alzheimer’s?
The diagnosis of early Alzheimer’s is made through analysis of the patient’s symptoms and personal and family history . In addition, tests may be requested to evaluate brain functions, such as imaging tests (tomography or magnetic resonance imaging) and blood tests, to evaluate biomarkers related to the disease, such as beta-amyloid proteins 42 and 40. In Alzheimer’s, there is an accumulation abnormality of these proteins in the brain, forming amyloid plaques.
The treatment is the same as that used for common, late-onset Alzheimer’s. It is worth remembering that this is a disease that still has no cure and, therefore, treatment aims to reduce the symptoms associated with the condition, improving the patient’s quality of life.
According to the Ministry of Health, Alzheimer’s treatment may include medications to stabilize cognitive and behavioral impairment. The folder makes the transdermal patch Rivastigmine available in health units across the country for the treatment of Alzheimer’s. The Clinical Protocol and Therapeutic Guidelines (PCDT) for this condition also includes the use of medications such as donepezil; galantamine and memantine.
Psychological support and cognitive therapy are also essential during Alzheimer’s treatment and are recommended to improve cognitive function, memory and the ability to perform everyday tasks.
How to prevent the early development of Alzheimer’s?
Early Alzheimer’s can be prevented by avoiding the risk factors associated with its development. Therefore, the main preventive measures include adopting a healthy diet, practicing regular physical activity, improving sleep quality — treating possible disorders that may be related, such as insomnia or sleep apnea — and avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. .
In addition, maintaining adequate treatment for cardiovascular and metabolic conditions, such as hypertension and diabetes, which are associated with a greater risk of dementia, are also ways to prevent early Alzheimer’s.
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This content was originally published in Early Alzheimer’s: see warning signs that may appear as early as age 50 on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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