Alzheimer’s is a disease that many fear, this because in advanced stages we tend to forget, even, who are our most beloved relatives, Therefore, studies are being carried out in laboratories around the world to better understand the diagnosis, as well as prevention and treatment options for those who are currently suffering from it.
Meanwhile, there are some signs that can occur when this disease progresses, and that can warn the population about the risks, in addition to helping with early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. According to a study by the University of California, San Francisco, United States, older adults who tend to take long naps, that is, more than two hours can become a sign of this condition.
“Naps during the day and Alzheimer’s disease seem to promote mutual changes in a bidirectional way.… We now know that pathology related to cognitive decline can cause other changes in function … It’s really a multisystemic disorder, which also includes difficulty sleeping, changes in movement, changes in body composition, symptoms of depression, behavioral changes, etc., “said Yue Leng, who would be the main author of the study, according to the Argentine media Todo News, referring to the changes that occurred in the study, and that could shed light on this behavior in patients.
Apparently, in the study they noticed that over time, the volunteers increased by about 11 minutes per year in those who did not develop any cognitive problems. Nevertheless, this same number doubled after the patient was diagnosed with mild impairment, but sleep time tripled when the volunteers had dementia and Alzheimer’s.
This disease has a slow but progressive progress, being a common type of dementia that affects the development of daily activities of people who suffer from it.. According to the Mayo Clinic portal, the disease causes the brain to gradually shrink and in this way neurons die, which affects both thinking, as well as the language and social skills of patients.
“In the United States, about 5.8 million people age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Of these, 80% are 75 years of age or older. Of the approximately 50 million people with dementia worldwide, it is estimated that between 60% and 70% suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, “said the American portal, referring to the percentage of people, as well as the most recurrent ages, of people with this condition.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, one of the first signs would be forgetting small details of daily life, such as important dates, information that has just been learned but is difficult to remember, so other people would have to intervene to complete it.
As a second symptom, the organization stressed that people tend to have problems executing mathematical operations. “Some people experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers. They may have difficulty following a familiar recipe or managing monthly bills. They may have trouble concentrating and it may take them longer to do things now than before”, he asserted, affirming that this type of situation can occur in all areas, both at work, in the kitchen or with simple routine occasions.