Alzheimer, costi insostenibili per le famiglie italiane.

Alzheimer's dementia is the most common form of senile dementia, affecting about 5% of people over 60 and 20% of those over 85. However, there are also early onsets, around the age of 50. It is named after the German neurologist Alois Alzheimer, who described its characteristics in 1907. In Italy, there are over 1.2 million people affected by dementia, 78% of whom are over 80 years old and the majority are women. 

Ten years ago, there were just over half as many patients, and in ten years there will be more than double. This figure indicates that little prevention is being done.  

Alzheimer's disease is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disorder; in short, it irreversibly destroys brain cells, causing a deterioration of cognitive functions, compromising autonomy and the ability to carry out normal daily activities. 

A scourge for affected families. Estimates of public and private spending on Alzheimer's are around 70,000 euros per year, of which 73% is borne by Italian families.
This disease not only causes a lot of suffering for the relatives of the affected loved one, but also a significant expenditure of economic resources, which not all families can afford.
The course is slow but relentless, for now.
Alzheimer's can also be caused by the presence of an altered gene, which determines its transmission from one generation to another within the same family. It is possible to check for the presence of a genetic mutation through a blood test, after genetic counseling.
For the vast majority of affected patients, the causes are identified as environmental factors, lifestyle, poor diet, and family history. 

For reasons not yet clear, the body metabolizes a protein abnormally, leading to the formation of a neurotoxic substance, which slowly accumulates in the brain and leads to neuronal death.

Italy, with the 2021 Budget Law, established the “Fund for Alzheimer's and Dementias,” promising to allocate 15 million over three years. A ridiculous amount compared to the number of patients involved and the cost of managing each individual patient.
Prevention and early diagnosis are undoubtedly the winning cards that the political and managerial class should seriously consider and believe in. Health prevention should start from elementary schools, a long-term program that would bring enormous economic benefits even in the short term.

Leaving aside that prevention in health is everything, researchers are working hard to discover possible keys to counteract cognitive decline.
For example, an inflammatory molecule, CCL11, has been discovered by researchers in Pisa, and it seems that by reducing its levels in the blood, it is possible to have effects on brain aging. The levels of this molecule in the blood appear to be reduced with physical exercise and mental training. 

So training body and mind gives our lives a lower risk of dementia. The cortical areas of those who do physical and mental exercises are more plastic and favor axonogenesis and synaptogenesis, compared to sedentary subjects. 

Physical exercise also keeps cholesterol and high blood pressure at bay, which until now have been considered among the causes of many heart and mental diseases.