1, 2, 3, and 3 seconds are very short, and it passed after a moment of stupefaction. But, did you know that there is a dementia patient every 3 seconds in the world.

At present, there are more than 55 million dementia patients worldwide, of which more than 10 million patients are located in China. Among Chinese people aged 60 and over, there are approximately 15.07 million people with dementia, with a prevalence rate of 6.0%. Among them, Alzheimer's disease was 3.9%, vascular dementia was 1.6%, and other dementias were 0.5% [1].

During the long course of fighting against dementia, the patient gradually lost memory, cognition, and self-care ability, and at the same time became hysterical, manic and crying, etc. The changes in the patient's temperament and the heavy burden brought by the disease also made the family suffer. .

Whether it is the patient or the family, they are all suffering from pain that is incomprehensible to ordinary people. Today, Xiao Jiu will talk about "senile dementia" and how to prevent dementia.

"Alzheimer's Dementia Prediction Map" released, who should be vigilant?

"European Heart Journal" published a research report by Danish scientists. The researchers conducted a 25-year follow-up study on more than 60,000 people, and found that the six major predictors of Alzheimer's disease are: age, low education level , diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking and genetic factors.

They also presented for the first time a "Dementia Risk Prediction Map," which predicts a person's 10-year risk of developing dementia based on their risk factor status.

For example, if a woman has low education level, smokes, has diabetes, and the apolipoprotein E genotype is 4 (risk factor), and there are 30 risk genes that are highly associated with dementia, then she is 50~59 years old, 60~ At 69 years old, 70-79 years old, and 80-100 years old, the risk of developing dementia is 6%, 23%, 48% and 66%, respectively [2].

Men with the same risk factors have a relatively lower risk of dementia at the same age, 5%, 19%, 42%, and 60%, respectively [2].

The research results help identify high-risk individuals who can benefit from early prevention, and Alzheimer's disease requires decades of accumulation, even high-risk individuals, as long as they are prevented as early as possible in middle age and maintain a healthy lifestyle Still reduces the risk of dementia.

More terrifying than Alzheimer's disease, the underrated killer-vascular dementia

When it comes to dementia, many people first think of Alzheimer's disease. In fact, there is another "killer" that is often underestimated by people - vascular dementia. Although it is "unknown", its lethality is not small. So today we will focus on talking.

Vascular dementia, also known as vascular cognitive impairment, is a dementia syndrome in which cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are the main cause, and it is the second most common cause of dementia after Alzheimer's disease. Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are very common in life, and at the same time the disease is getting younger, so the resulting vascular dementia is also showing a younger trend.

Young and middle-aged patients with high blood pressure and high blood sugar often do not receive timely intervention due to their low attention to the disease. Compared with the elderly, young and middle-aged patients have to get along with these diseases for a longer time, and may be complicated by other diseases There will be more and more serious, so vascular dementia is more terrible than Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease patients mostly suffer from memory impairment, and the loss of physical function is less in the mild to moderate period. Patients with vascular dementia not only suffer from memory loss, but are also often accompanied by physical impairment, even paralysis, and many complications, which seriously affect the ability of daily life.

In addition, because vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease have similar manifestations, they are often easily overlooked by patients, and even many doctors may miss or misdiagnose them.

In fact, most patients with vascular dementia have stroke risk factors such as high blood pressure or history of atherosclerosis, accompanied by dizziness, vertigo, and numbness of limbs. Stroke is the "fuse" that induces the outbreak of vascular dementia. Almost 1/4 of stroke survivors may develop vascular dementia.

Like Alzheimer's disease, the damage caused by vascular dementia to human health is irreversible, but fortunately, after careful treatment, vascular dementia can effectively suppress the disease, and even improve, and the cause is relatively clear, can be Targeted early intervention.

Prevention of "senile dementia" needs to be done as early as possible in these two aspects

With the aging of Chinese society and the high incidence of cerebrovascular diseases, it is foreseeable that the number of patients with vascular dementia will also increase rapidly, so early intervention for vascular dementia is particularly important.

drug intervention

The first is to prevent stroke and reduce the risk factors of stroke, thereby reducing the risk of vascular dementia, including the prevention and treatment of diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, atrial fibrillation or diabetes. Patients should carefully follow the doctor's advice, insist on taking drugs to effectively control the development of the disease, and should not stop or reduce the drugs without authorization.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that brain diseases such as cognitive dysfunction and dementia are nothing more than kidney essence deficiency, phlegm turbidity blocking collaterals, blood stasis, and heart and spleen deficiency. At present, traditional Chinese medicine has certain advantages in the treatment of vascular cognitive dysfunction. Taking Gastrodia Xingnao Capsule as an example, it is suitable for symptoms such as headache, dizziness, memory loss, insomnia, unresponsiveness, tinnitus, and backache. The six-flavored herbs in its prescription are all commonly used medicinal herbs in the treatment of dementia in traditional Chinese medicine. The three medicine pairs can comprehensively improve brain symptoms.

Among them, gastrodia elata and earthworm remove blood stasis, improve microcirculation and increase cerebral blood flow; Rehmannia glutinosa and cistanche nourish kidney, strengthen kidney and strengthen essence, and enhance immunity; calamus calamus and polygala reduce phlegm, protect nerves and improve memory. The combination of six medicinal materials has the unique effect of nourishing the kidney, reducing phlegm and expelling blood stasis, and is a good prescription for preventing and treating senile dementia. It can be taken under the guidance of a physician.

improve lifestyle

In terms of lifestyle, patients can try a simple, light and nutritious Mediterranean diet, eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, quit smoking and drinking, control weight, and prevent obesity.

You should strengthen physical exercise at ordinary times. Proper exercise can indeed strengthen blood circulation and improve the symptoms of high blood pressure. However, it should be noted that exercise should be done when the body allows it. Do not choose too intense exercise. You should start with aerobic exercise such as jogging and walking.

In addition, patients can also maintain the habit of continuous learning, use their brains to strengthen memory training, actively participate in social activities, and maintain a cheerful personality and optimistic mood.

> > references: >

> > 1. 15.07 million elderly people in China have dementia. Controlling these 9 major factors can effectively prevent it. Medical Neurology Channel >

> > 2. The Lancet sub-journal of the Xuanwu Hospital team: How common is dementia in the elderly in China? .Academic Jingwei, 2020.12.16 >

> > 3. Dementia should be prevented from middle age! European Heart Journal Research Proposes Prediction Atlas. Chinese Journal of Circulation. 2021-01-05 >

> > 4. Yu Ting. Thoughts and experience of clinical treatment of vascular dementia in traditional Chinese medicine [J]. Family Psychologist, 2014: 173-173. >