(Zhang Guoping, 2011-6-18) At its 10th meeting in Edinburgh, UK, in 1994, the International Dementia Association designated September 21 as World Alzheimer’s Day. Every year, many countries and regions around the world hold activities on this day, with the participation of patients, caregivers, family members, scientists and clinicians. The aim is to promote and popularize the knowledge of dementia prevention among the general public, so that the whole society understands that dementia prevention is very important and should be given sufficient attention. There were scientific materials, photography, recording and consultation activities. The theme of this year’s World Alzheimer’s Day is: Recognize Dementia, Work Hard. We hope to encourage more people to recognize the urgency and symptoms of dementia. We will also recognize those who have worked tirelessly and contributed to the treatment of dementia around the world to promote support and care for people with dementia and those who work with them. Alzheimer’s disease (AD), also known as Alzheimer’s disease, was first discovered in 1906 by a German physician, Alzheimer, and is a progressive brain degenerative disease of unknown cause. It is a progressive brain degenerative disease of unknown cause, usually occurring in people over 65 years of age. Since the onset of Alzheimer’s disease is hidden and not easily detected, the early manifestations of “old confusion” are often treated as a normal condition of the elderly by family members. Experts point out that this is different from ordinary memory loss. Therefore, family members should pay close attention to the elderly at home, and once they notice the abnormality, they should accompany the patient to the psychiatry, neurology or geriatrics department of the hospital in time to avoid delaying the best treatment period. Alzheimer’s disease is the fourth leading cause of death in the elderly after tumor, heart disease and cerebrovascular disease. The mortality rate of dementia reported worldwide ranges from 0.8% to 27.0%. A global burden of disease study conducted by WHO showed that in high-income countries, dementia accounts for 7.5% of the total burden of disease and is the fourth most disabling disease. Data from the Second National Disability Survey show that dementia is the leading cause of mental disability in the elderly population (43.5%) among all disabling diseases. International epidemiological surveys show that the average age of dementia emergence is 72 years, with the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease reaching 3 to 8 percent at age 65, increasing to 30 percent or higher at age 80 and older. Due to the lack of awareness of dementia and the imperfect health care system for the elderly, the current consultation rate of dementia patients in China is low. The survey found that less than 20% of patients with mild dementia are seen, and more than half of them are misdiagnosed. 47% of the elderly with dementia are considered to be the result of natural aging and are “senile”. In recent years, two new phenomena have been discovered: first, the age of dementia is advancing, and dementia is gradually becoming younger, with many middle-aged people in their forties showing early symptoms of dementia such as memory and thinking ability decreasing significantly; second, due to changes in living environment and lifestyle, the prevalence of vascular dementia caused by hypertension, diabetes and stroke is significantly higher than that of European and American countries. China is gradually entering an aging society, and surveys show that the number of elderly people over 65 years of age has exceeded 160 million, and is increasing at an average annual rate of 3.3%, estimated to reach 280 million by 2025, accounting for 18.4% of the total population. Among the people over 65 years old in China, Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 2.45% and vascular dementia accounts for 3.26%, and the total number of people with various types of dementia is over 8 million nationwide, with about 300,000 more elderly people joining the ranks every year. In Beijing, 3-8% of people over 65 years of age suffer from dementia, and the prevalence rate reaches 25-30% by the age of 80. At present, there are about 130,000 elderly people with dementia in Beijing, with an annual increase of 25,000 and an average annual incidence rate of 1.35%. It has become a very urgent task to build a harmonious society to strengthen the popularization of mental health knowledge and prevent the occurrence of psychological and behavioral problems in the elderly. So far, Alzheimer’s disease is incurable. Early detection and treatment is the key to treating Alzheimer’s disease, and some early symptoms can be relieved by medication. General brain nutrients cannot be targeted to treat dementia. When an elderly person near you has memory loss, slow reaction, loss of concentration, indifference, nagging and suspicious, do not think it is normal old age, but should seek professional medical treatment in time. Currently, the following treatments are commonly used: 1, improve cerebral circulation and brain metabolism: such as Danshen, Ginkgo biloba, Olacitant, Nicergoline; 2, cholinesterase inhibitors: such as Anlishen, Haberin; 3, antioxidants: vitamin E can be applied; 4, neurotrophic drugs: VB1, VB12; 5, hormones: estrogen therapy can improve AD symptoms and slow down the disease process; 6, gene therapy: the use of gene 6, gene therapy: the use of genetic recombination technology to replace the defective genes with normal genes to achieve the purpose of curing the genetic defects, but it is not yet possible; 7, family care: family members should face the reality, be loving and patient with the patient, communicate with the elderly not too much blame, so as not to hurt the self-esteem of the elderly. Carry out effective protection, proper management of household appliances to ensure the safety of the patient. Encourage appropriate outdoor activities, but avoid getting lost. Caring for a person with dementia is not only about material things and living, but also about psychological interventions, which can effectively reduce the patient’s negative coping style of avoidance and self-blame. Japanese scientists have found that listening to or singing one’s favorite songs can stabilize the production of sex hormones in older adults, which may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease (dementia). In a test of 36 older women, it was found that after the musical activity, the women’s overall sex hormone secretion moved toward a stable value. In subsequent psychological tests, the women’s depressed and restless moods also eased. The researchers believe that music could play a role in regulating sex hormone levels, which could then also play a role in preventing Alzheimer’s disease, which could also avoid the side effects of taking hormone medication. A research team at Seoul National University School of Medicine in South Korea found that the antibiotic dimethylaminotetracycline, which is used to suppress inflammation, has the effect of preventing damage to brain nerve cells and enhancing recognition and memory functions, and is expected to be applied to prevent dementia. According to the report, the brains of people with dementia form beta amyloid and C-terminal proteins in large quantities, which leads to the death of nerve cells. In contrast, animal experiments found that dimethylaminotetracycline could inhibit the toxic proteins β-amyloid and C-terminal protein, reduce the phosphorylation of eukaryotic protein mutation initiation factor 2α, and prevent the activation of the cell lytic enzyme caspase-12, thereby preventing dementia. Apples, bananas and oranges, common fruits in people’s lives, are not only rich in a variety of vitamins, minerals and fiber needed by the human body, but also contain an antioxidant substance – phenol, which has a protective effect on human brain nerve cells, said a report published by Cornell University researchers in the latest issue of the journal Food Science. It is urgent to pay attention to dementia, and to make unremitting efforts to understand dementia! Let’s join hands to create a healthy, harmonious and happy life for the elderly in their twilight years!