World Alzheimer’s Day Early Treatment Only Way to Delay Dementia Progression: Doctors at Columbia Asia Hospitals, Ghaziabad Advocate Need for Greater Awareness


Alzheimer’s most common in people over 65 years of age; but some people in their 40s & 50s are also affected

Early medical intervention only way to slow down the effect of the disease

Ghaziabad, 30th Sept 2016: Is any of your elderly relative showing signs of cognitive decline such as difficulty in completing their daily tasks, forgetting their daily medication, confusion about time or place or failing to remember recent incidents? If yes, these might be symptoms of Alzhemier’s that must neither be ignored nor considered a normal part of ageing.

World Alzheimer’s Day Early Treatment Only Way to Delay Dementia Progression: Doctors at Columbia Asia Hospitals, Ghaziabad Advocate Need for Greater Awareness


Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, the general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. It is a progressive disease that starts with mild memory loss and gradually progresses to a state where the patient loses the intellectual and cognitive ability to carry on conversations and perform normal daily tasks.

While medical science is yet to develop a cure for the disease, clinical intervention can help delay the effect of the disorder to a large extent.

As we observe Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, doctors at Columbia Asia Hospital, Ghaziabad advocated the need for greater awareness about the condition, the need for raising awareness about it and helping create an environment of dignity for the people living with it. They advocated the need for patients to be brought to a specialist immediately after the onset of symptoms so that the cognitive decline can be arrested.

“When it comes to Alzhemier’s or other forms of dementia, the common mistake people make is to consider the symptoms a normal part of ageing. While Alzheimer’s is a disease that affects the elderly, it is certainly not a normal sign of progressing age. Most do not seek medical help until the patient loses a lot of cognitive and intellectual ability. In later stages, an Alzheimer’s patient may not just fail to recognize her family members, but may also endanger herself as she loses intellectual capability as well. Alzheimer’s is a difficult condition for which we are yet to develop a cure. However, if medical intervention is made in the early years of its onset, the progression of the disease can be slowed down, and the onset of advance stage can be delayed. This can mean a lot for such patients as well as their family members,” said Dr Neeraj Agarwal ,Consultant  Neurology, Columbia Asia Hospital, Ghaziabad

September 2016 is the fifth global World Alzheimer’s Month, an international campaign to raise awareness and challenge stigma around the most common form of dementia that afflicts millions of people across the globe.
The awareness campaign in India must focus on educating people to seek medical help in the early stages, immediately after the onset of the symptoms. There is also a lot of misinformation and stigmatization associated with the condition which needs to be addressed. We also need to sensitize people to the difficult condition of these patients and help create an environment of dignity for them.
“Another important fact to be highlighted is the possibility of early onset of this condition. While majority

of people with Alzheimer's are aged 65 years and above, a small portion of them can develop early onset Alzheimer's, which starts manifesting as early as the 40s or 50s. Research has shown that early medical intervention can help stabilize or slow down the progressive decline in cognition, function and behavior in the patients,” said Dr Neeraj Agarwal

Alzheimer’s Disease doesn’t just affect the patient but has serious impact on the emotional well-being of his/her family which goes through a traumatic experience. The theme for World Alzheimer's Month 2016 is ‘Remember Me’ under which people are being asked to share their favourite memories, or memories of a loved one on social media with the hashtags #RememberMe #WAM2016.
It is essential therefore to remain alert to any symptoms of cognitive or memory loss even if you are still to touch the 60 year mark.

About Columbia Asia Hospitals Pvt. Ltd.
Columbia Asia Hospitals Pvt. Ltd. is the only company in India to utilize 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) route in the hospital sector.
About Columbia Asia Group of Companies
The Columbia Asia Group is owned by more than 150 private equity companies, fund management organizations and individual investors. The group currently operates eleven facilities in India and has presence in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, Kolkata, Mysore, Patiala and Pune. The company also operates hospitals in Malaysia (11), Vietnam (3), and Indonesia (3). The Indian management operations are managed from its office in Bangalore.