Doha

The number of Alzheimer’s (ALZ) disorder patients in Qatar is expected to increase by 30 times by 2050, a senior Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) expert has said.

Worldwide Alzheimer's disease accounts for about 65% of cases of dementia. It is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and gets worse over time.

Speaking at an event organised by the College of Medicine at Qatar University (QU) to commemorate World Alzheimer’s Day, HMC's head of neurology and neurophysiology, Dr Dirk Deleu said in less than four decades, the disease may have a significant impact on Qatar’s elderly population. "Due to Qatar’s population growth, we expect an increase by 30 times of ALZ sufferers by 2050. This calls for effective efforts to help reduce this number,” he said.

The event was themed Alzheimer’s Purple Day and invited QU students, faculty and staff and members of the wider community to wear purple to recognise people suffering from the disease, in order to learn about its causes and symptoms and the toll it takes on families.

The event included a film screening, an open discussion and a visual learning experience about ALZ. The presentation by Dr Deleu aimed to promote awareness about Alzheimer’s dementia and boost support in the fight against the widespread global disorder.

Dr Deleu highlighted the situation of ALZ dementia in Qatar, for which he noted there were no formal studies conducted on its prevalence.

“Cognitive enhancement, individual and group therapy, regular medical checkups and communication with family and caregivers are very efficient ways to minimise and control symptoms of ALZ dementia.”

According to him dementia is common in the elderly but is not an inherent part of ageing. Alzheimer’s dementia is the most common type of dementia and there is no curative therapy at this time.

Comparing normal cognitive lapses and dementia, Dr Deleu noted that the former gave indications of everyday forgetfulness such as not remembering names and dates and misplacing keys, while the latter produces signs such as not recognising family members, getting lost in normally familiar places and forgetting one’s name.

He added that ALZ sufferers need special care and attention from their families and caregivers. “We are all encouraged to increase our awareness of Alzheimer’s to learn about its symptoms and the most appropriate prevention methods,” he said.