Preventing and Treating Alzheimer’s Disease: A Modern Approach

Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are a great challenge facing our society today. They are a social and health-care problem which only in the Basque Country affects over 40,000 people, and this figure is expected to double by 2040.

Nowadays, one in ten people over 65 suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia in the elderly. It is a neurological pathology that costs about 24,000 euros on average per patient every year and lasts an average of 8-10 years. It is therefore undeniable that we are facing a huge public challenge that can be and should be tackled right now.

In this context, early diagnosis, the use of available therapies and treatments, and research into primary and secondary prevention measures are essential strategies to raise awareness of dementia, optimise the quality of life of patients and their family caregivers, and even cut the number of sufferers by half over the next decade or two.

Neurologist Pablo Martínez-Lage, Scientific Director of CITA Alzheimer Foundation, will be in charge of presenting the most important aspects of this disease at a talk in Bilbao called “Preventing and Treating Alzheimer’s Disease: A Modern Approach”, at 7pm on 5 March, at Bidebarrieta Library (Calle Bidebarrieta, 4).

Amongst other things, Martínez-Lage will talk about how this disease works, risk factors and current treatments to control or delay onset. The doctor will also analyse the current role of early diagnosis, clinical tests and the importance of prevention.

This talk is part of the “Scientific Bidebarrieta” series, an initiative organised every month by the Chair of Scientific Culture of the UPV/EHU and Bidebarrieta Library to discuss current scientific issues.

All of the talks are free, subject to available seating. However, attendees need to pick up an invite at the library, from 28 February to 5 March. Invitations can be collected from 10am to 2pm and from 4pm to 8pm, Monday to Friday.

For those who are not able to attend, the talks are streamed live here.