World Alzheimer's Day 2021: History, significance and all you need to know about disease

The globe acknowledges World Alzheimer’s Day every year on 21 September. The day aims at raising awareness about the disease, dementia, common symptoms, and risk factors attached to it. In many countries, World Alzheimer’s Day is observed throughout the month. The day also raises awareness about the severity of Alzheimer’s disease and its causes. History of World Alzheimer’s Day: Alois Alzheimer, a German psychiatrist, identified this illness for the first time in 1901 in a 50-year-old German lady. That is the reason why the disorder was named after the psychiatrist. With time and alertness about the disease, the Alzheimer Disease International was formed in 1984. On its tenth anniversary which was celebrated in 1994, the organisation announced the inaugural of World Alzheimer’s Day. They decided to celebrate it on 21 September every year. However, World Alzheimer’s Month was recognised in the year 2012. What is Alzheimer’s disease? It is a neurodegenerative disease that deteriorates memory and cognitive abilities. It also creates difficulty in problem-solving and multitasking. If timely care and attention are not taken, an individual can behave differently with time, many face concentration troubles and withdraw themselves socially from people. This case is most frequently in older or senior individuals where the progressive illness causes brain cells to deteriorate gradually and die. Common risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease Family history: The probability of developing the disease can increase if someone has a parent or sibling affected with Alzheimer’s. Meanwhile, lifestyle, environmental factors and genetics play a major part in this illness. Age: One of the biggest risk factors for developing this disease is old age. As per reports, people who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease happen to be 65 years of age or above. Injury to the brain: A traumatic brain injury to the skull or blow to the head can cause a risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Genetics: Scientists claim that the most common genetic that leads to Alzheimer’s disease is the APOE-e4 gene. This gene plays an important role in one-quarter of Alzheimer’s cases.