Dementia (amnesia) among the elderly is spreading like an epidemic. What is worrying doctors is that a drug like cranezumab to treat Alzheimer’s disease has proved ineffective. Dr. Gil Livingston, a psychiatrist at the University College of London and head of the Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, has also given his opinion regarding the recent trials on the drug.
A study done on the loss of vision in the US found that 62% of dementia cases are associated with blurred vision. Researchers have found that by keeping the eyes healthy, one lakh people can be saved from dementia every year. Dr. Joshua Ehrlich said that dementia can be prevented by eye examination and timely treatment.
55 million people with dementia
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 55 million people in the world are suffering from dementia. 60% of these patients live in low or middle income countries. Most of the patients of amnesia are elderly. According to WHO, by 2030, the number of patients will increase to 78 million. At the same time, by the year 2050, this figure will reach 13.9 crores.