00:00There are 55 million people worldwide, of which 2 million only in Italy, affected by dementia.
00:12Data that make such pathologies a real social emergency and a priority of public health.
00:18To launch the alarm, AIRALS, the Italian Association for Alzheimer's Disease Research, or LUS,
00:24which on the occasion of its decade of foundation, launched a campaign of awareness
00:29that invites the population to be more aware of the benefits of a correct lifestyle,
00:35among which there is also the prevention of the risk of dementia.
00:39The activity of AIRALS, constituted in 2014, started with funding for research in 2016.
00:46Since then, the association has funded 81 research assignments for young researchers
00:51throughout the national territory.
00:53Since 2020, instead, we have decided to move the funding to projects,
01:01so the Principal Investigator, or PI, always young,
01:08so we are always focused on funding the research of young people under 40,
01:15has allowed, from 2020 to today, to fund 26 research projects.
01:23The projects are, above all, on early diagnosis,
01:28the identification of the targets on which research can be focused
01:36for new pharmacological interventions and non-pharmacological interventions,
01:41and, above all, in recent years, also on prevention.
01:47To prevent the emergence of Alzheimer's, it is necessary to adopt a healthy lifestyle,
01:52characterized by two main factors.
01:55First of all, food, and the WHO uses the term Mediterranean diet,
02:01that is, it recommends to everyone to follow the Mediterranean diet,
02:05because a balanced diet is not possible, and this is very simple,
02:10we know how to do it, we should all do it.
02:13Another very important aspect is physical activity,
02:18and it is incredible, but doing a daily physical activity improves memory responses and tests,
02:26and reduces the risk of cognitive decline or even dementia.
02:31Even if today, thanks to the control of risk factors,
02:34Alzheimer's disease is less scary,
02:37it is important to keep your attention high compared to some alarm bells.
02:42Bad cholesterol, for example, a vision defect not checked,
02:47deafness, especially if not treated, but then there are cardiovascular risk factors,
02:53hygiene, in particular oral hygiene,
02:57alcohol, cigarette smoke, atmospheric pollution, heavy metals,
03:08there are many factors that, in a global health concept,
03:13also affect Alzheimer's disease.
03:16In fact, the fragility of the brain or the vulnerability of the brain
03:20is expressed by increasing the risk of getting sick.
03:24So all we can do to safeguard the health of the brain
03:28also serves to counteract Alzheimer's disease.
Comments