Alzheimer's Disease

Here is my take on Alzheimer's Disease. This is despite the fact I am a member of Deccan Chapter of Alzheimer's and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI) India. Dr Aruna Alladi, Ms Ansari, Dr Jacob Roy and others are good friends. I take part in awareness programs on AD. But, pardon me for my one-sided views.

Some times, I tend to agree with Prof Kalluri Subba Rao, when he says there is a lot of hype and noise about Alzheimer's Disease. Americans have a way of conducting research on silliest of issues and scare you to death with half baked (and vested-party-cooked-up) results. Take memory loss in old age for instance. As far as I remember, every household had a few old people to care about. Memory loss was taken as routine part of ageing. No one bothered about the condition except doing whatever was possible to keep oldies happy and comfortable. It was a part of cultural ethos to accept the inevitable with grace and move on. No one was scared of providing care to old persons with diminishing memory health.

It is only during the past decade or so we hear about dementia and Alzheimer's Disease. More we read, all the more we get screed and start worrying. One in five get AD? Will it be me? This is like the Horlicks Advertisement that says every other woman suffers from low bone density problems and the only way to combat it, is taking Horlicks with absolute regularity and fill the coffers of that company. This is happening in the field of mental health: everyday a set of popular symptoms get a new name / label of a disease condition. Then starts a series of medicines, diagnosis, tests, expertise, procedures etc for the same. An entire new branch of industry comes up where there was no need in first instance. Whole thing is unethical and promoted by greedy doctors and pharma sector.

Now we have Day Care Centers, Special Carers, Support groups, Memory Clinics, Annual Shows, Government funding, research reports etc. Somehow more awareness is scaring. Ignorance is bliss. How to combat this evil? Just take it easy and ask someone to shoot you the moment you are 'diagnosed' as having AD. Isn't that very simple?

Dr P Vyasamoorthy
30 Gruhalakshmi Colony, Secunderabad 500015 Telangana
LL 040-27846631 / Mobile: 9490804278

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