Alzheimer’s: 600,000 Italians affected; the total annual cost is 23 billion

Around 1.2 million Italians are living with some form of dementia. Of these, 600,000 are living with Alzheimer’s, the most common cause of degenerative dementia worldwide. The costs associated with these conditions are substantial: they amount to 23 billion per year, with 63 per cent of the financial burden borne by families. The Italian Society of Neurology highlighted this ahead of World Alzheimer’s Day, which is observed on Monday 21 September. However, thanks to advances in research, it is possible to take steps to prevent the onset of the disease by addressing certain risk factors, ranging from social isolation and depression to smoking and sleep quality.

“Alzheimer’s is not an inevitable consequence of ageing but a complex neurodegenerative disease that must be recognised and addressed as early as possible,” explained Mario Zappia, president of the Italian Society of Neurology.

This condition is, in fact, a primary degenerative dementia that causes neurons to die off progressively, thereby disrupting the production and distribution of neurotransmitters – the chemical substances that carry messages within the brain. It begins to manifest itself gradually, often after the age of 60, but in its early-onset forms it can also begin around the age of 40. However, the incidence rate increases with age and becomes very common in people over the age of 80.

Recently, however, as the Italian Society of Neurology points out, significant progress has been made in the field of Alzheimer’s disease. First and foremost, it has been discovered that the disease is not an inevitable fate. According to the president of SIN, in fact, around half of all cases are ‘potentially preventable or delayable’. To reduce the risk of developing this form of dementia, it has been recognised that action must be taken to address certain health-related risk factors (hearing and vision loss, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, smoking, depression, physical inactivity, diabetes, alcohol consumption and head injuries), social risk factors (social isolation, low educational attainment) and environmental risk factors (air pollution).

Prevention is therefore crucial: neurologists advise keeping blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control, not smoking, protecting your eyesight and hearing, and taking regular exercise. It is also essential to maintain cognitive stimulation and social connections, combining all these habits with a good night’s sleep, during which the brain reorganises its activities. ‘Until a few years ago, neurologists would mainly intervene once the disease had already manifested itself; today, thanks to advances in research, it is possible to reverse the course of the condition,’ concluded Zappia.