China News Service, Beijing, March 23 (Reporter Li Chun) The "2024 START Memory Clinic Action and Dementia Prevention and Treatment Science Popularization" was co-sponsored by the Alzheimer's Disease Branch of the China Elderly Care Association and the Aging Communication Branch of the Chinese Society of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine. Communication Activity" was held in Beijing on the 23rd. This action plan will carry out a series of trainings in 10 regions across the country, hold 35 lecture tours in key cities, assist at least 50 medical institutions in setting up memory clinics, and train 1,000 memory clinic medical nursing staff. At the meeting, four professional institutions jointly released the "Joint Tips for Early Prevention and Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease", which gave ten important tips on early prevention, early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment.
On March 23, the "Joint Tips on Early Prevention and Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease" was released in Beijing. Picture provided by Alzheimer's Disease Branch of China Elderly Care Association
Controlling risk factors can prevent or delay 40% of dementia
Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, accounting for approximately 60% to 70% of dementia cases. Currently, there are about 15 million dementia patients among the elderly in my country, 10 million of whom are Alzheimer's disease patients.
Xie Hengge, chairman of the Alzheimer's Disease Branch of the China Elderly Care Association, said that studies have found that more than half of the global burden of dementia is caused by potential and intervenable risk factors, including diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, middle-age Early obesity, smoking, excessive drinking, lack of exercise, low education, depression, social isolation, etc. Strengthening education and intervening on modifiable risk factors can prevent or delay about 40% of dementia globally and in my country.
Kong Lingzhi, executive vice president and secretary-general of the China Health Education and Promotion Association, said that Alzheimer's disease and chronic diseases share many of the same risk factors; strategies for early prevention, early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment are consistent strategies for dealing with chronic diseases. It is consistent and consistent with the "prevention first" that has always been emphasized in my country's health and wellness work policy. Kong Lingzhi also emphasized the importance of raising awareness and called on all sectors of society to work together to increase public awareness of Alzheimer's disease and help prevent and control the disease.
"Four mornings" timely intervention for Alzheimer's disease
On the same day, the Alzheimer's Disease Branch of the China Elderly Care Association, the Aging Communication Branch of the Chinese Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics, the Health Communication Branch of the Chinese Society of Preventive Medicine, and the Health Communication Branch of the China Health Promotion and Education Association released the "Early Alzheimer's Disease" "Joint Tips on Prevention and Early Treatment", including four parts: "Early prevention and control of disease risk factors", "Early detection and recognition of disease warning symptoms", "Early diagnosis and more opportunities for intervention" and "Early treatment to delay the occurrence and development of the disease". .
Xie Hengge said in his interpretation that Alzheimer's disease often develops unknowingly and gradually progresses, from initial memory loss to not recognizing family members, loss of daily living abilities, abnormal behavior and personality, and ultimately completely dependent on the care of others. , bringing heavy psychological pressure and financial burden to the family.
Age is the most important risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease, which commonly occurs after the age of 65. Among people over 60 years old, the prevalence doubles for every 5 years of age.
"Joint Tips" introduces the early signs of Alzheimer's disease, including memory loss, difficulty in doing familiar tasks, loss of language ability, confusion about time and place, loss of judgment and thinking ability, difficulty in grasping the progress of things, and difficulty in putting things away. Misplacement, changes in mood and behavior, difficulty understanding visual and spatial information, withdrawal from work or social activities, etc. Xie Hengge emphasized that if early signs are found, family members should accompany the elderly to seek medical treatment promptly and receive more comprehensive cognitive examinations, risk management, chronic disease prevention and control management, and professional consultation.
The "Joint Tips" also mentioned that early treatment is the best option for delaying the disease. Under the guidance of a doctor, stopping taking drugs that aggravate memory loss, and early, long-term, standardized drug and non-drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease can preserve the patient's cognitive ability and life functions to the maximum extent, reduce the occurrence of behavioral problems, and achieve The purpose of delaying disease progression and improving quality of life.
On March 23, the 2024 START memory clinic operation was launched in Beijing. Picture provided by Alzheimer's Disease Branch of China Elderly Care Association
"START Memory Clinic Action" launched in 2024
On the same day, experts from all parties jointly launched the 2024 "START Memory Clinic Action". "START" means Screen Screening, Talk Rights, Alzheimer's Diagnosis, Red Flag Early Warning, and Treatment, which embodies the core capabilities of the memory clinic. The project will improve all aspects of clinical practice through annual science dissemination and public welfare screening activities, actions to improve the quality of dementia diagnosis and treatment medical records, special training and coaching actions on cognitive diagnosis and treatment guidelines, referral service network/patient safety actions, and special actions to promote cutting-edge diagnosis and treatment care technologies. Comprehensive dementia service capabilities of senior medical staff.
According to Xie Hengge, the Alzheimer's Disease Branch of the China Elderly Care Association launched a plan to create a memory clinic in 2012. It has carried out more than 50 training sessions, assisted 270 hospitals across the country in establishing memory clinics, and trained more than 5,000 medical staff in memory clinics at all levels. . The new version of "Memory Clinic Map 2.0" in 2023 includes 660 memory clinics. In order to promote the linkage between large tertiary hospitals and grassroots hospitals, improve the standardized diagnosis and treatment techniques of grassroots doctors and the public's awareness of the disease, START has specially set up the "Standardized Diagnosis and Treatment Promotion Action for Symptom Management of Cognitive Impairment Diseases" and plans to organize 70 grassroots activities with experts , 100 free clinics and patient education activities.
Xie Hengge also said that comprehensive intervention on brain function and chronic diseases by improving nutrition, strengthening exercise, cognitive training, social participation, and management of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk factors can bring multiple health benefits. At the same time, based on the three-level prevention theory of prevention and treatment awareness of healthy people, risk management and control of high-risk groups, and comorbidity management of dementia patients, dementia prevention and treatment will be included in the national integrated management of chronic diseases, and a dementia prevention and treatment path combined with chronic disease prevention and control will be established. In theory and are feasible in practice. (over)