Alzheimer’s Hits 50-Somethings; Doctors Sound Alarm

Hyderabad: Once confined largely to those over 60, Alzheimer’s disease is now being diagnosed in people in their early fifties, prompting neurologists to call for urgent public-health messaging and wider screening. According to the Telangana Neurological Society, India currently has an estimated 3.7 million Alzheimer’s patients — a national prevalence of 4.3 per cent among people over 65 — and the numbers are climbing.

Dr Shyam K. Jaiswal, chief consultant neurologist at a leading Hyderabad hospital, said the shift toward younger patients is “deeply worrying.” “We now see cases linked to long-standing depression and social isolation in men and women barely past 50,” he told reporters . “There is still no curative drug, though phase-2 and phase-3 trials on monoclonal antibodies at Harvard Medical School are promising. For now we can only slow progression with medication and lifestyle changes.”

Jaiswal’s clinic conducts memory assessments, MRI and PET scans, and screens for thyroid and vitamin-B12 deficiencies before confirming a diagnosis. He recommends “neurobics” — simple activities that break daily routine, such as brushing one’s teeth with the non-dominant hand — to stimulate new neural pathways. “Eighty per cent of daily life is repetitive. That atrophies the brain. Small, deliberate changes force it to grow,” he said.

Families bearing the brunt of the illness describe constant vigilance. Ashwin Sangram of Sainikpuri cares for an uncle with dementia that is slowly advancing. “He forgets where he lives and wanders off,” Sangram said. “We monitor him 24×7. Medication helps, but we fear the day it turns into full Alzheimer’s.”

To widen public understanding, city-based theatre collective Rangmanch is staging Sandhya, Tum Kahaan Ho, a play that will tour schools, marketplaces and even lorry-parking yards. Director S. N. Ahmed said the production aims to challenge the common belief that memory loss in old age is “just natural.” “Early symptoms are ignored, so patients suffer in silence and families are unprepared,” Ahmed noted. Rangmanch actors will also distribute leaflets on mental-health services and caregiver support.

Neurologists stress that prevention still hinges on modifiable factors: regular exercise, good sleep, social engagement and blood-pressure control. “Alzheimer’s may not be curable yet,” Dr Jaiswal said, “but with awareness and early intervention, we can preserve quality of life for far longer.”