Memory problems are considered an inevitable sign of aging..
But not everything is so simple and harmless.
New study shows people who complain about memory are more likely to develop dementia as they age.
“Our study once again confirms that complaints of poor memory in adults can be an indicator of serious impairment of memory and thinking in the future.. Physicians should not downplay these complaints.. They need to be taken seriously,” says study lead author Richard Kryscio, a research fellow at the University of Kentucky at Lexington (USA)..
Dementia is a general name for cognitive impairments that include problems with memory, speech, thinking, motor function, object recognition, and decision making.. Most dementia affects the elderly.
The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer's disease.. It is a progressive disease characterized by memory loss and behavioral changes.. Today, about 5.3 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease, and by 2050, experts expect this number to double..
Researchers at the University of Kentucky decided to analyze the relationship between complaints of poor memory in healthy individuals and the risk of developing dementia in the future.. The results of their work were published in the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, Neurology..
The development of dementia The study involved 531 people; average age of participants 73 years. All of them had no signs of dementia at the beginning of the observation, but every year scientists tested their memory.. Every year, participants completed special memory and thinking tests.. Follow-up lasted an average of 10 years. After the death of 243 participants, the brain was checked for signs of Alzheimer's disease.
During the study period, participants reported memory problems in 56% of cases (mean age 82). As it turned out, in such people the risk of developing dementia was 3 times higher.. In total, one in six participants developed dementia, and 80% of them had previously complained of memory impairment.. In other words, memory problems can be seen as an early warning sign of dementia..
Perhaps the most important result of scientists is the interval between the first subjective memory complaints and the onset of dementia..
“Remarkable is the period of time that elapses between the appearance of the first memory complaints and the development of dementia - this is about 12 years. Such a huge time window gives great opportunities for therapeutic intervention before serious disturbances occur,” says Dr. Criscio.
No reason to panic The authors acknowledge that their work was limited by the fact that the participants were simply asked about their memory status. People could answer this question in different ways.. This approach could lead to errors in the analysis of the results.. Scientists did not take into account factors such as smoking and diabetes.
Therefore, they say that subjective memory complaints are “no reason to panic” because many years will pass between them and the development of dementia.. If dementia comes at all.
Criscio says that, unfortunately, " Approved therapies aim only at relieving symptoms and cannot affect the progression of the disease in any way..
By the way, Alzheimer's Disease International released the 2014 Alzheimer's World Report this month.. Scientists emphasize the importance of caring for brain health in middle age. The report also shows that people with a high level of education suffer less from Alzheimer's disease.. Experts urge to fight smoking as one of the risk factors for this disease.
medbe. en.