One hundred years have passed since the neurologist Alois Alzheimer revealed the disease that we know by its name. Current estimates indicate that 5-7% of the population over 65 years of age are affected by this condition (about 650,000 people in the Spanish state), and among those over 85 years of age, four out of ten. “Alzheimer’s is one of the prices we have to pay to increase life expectancy,” says psychiatrist Juan José López Ibor, director of the San Carlos Hospital in Madrid.

Between 85% and 90% of people with Alzheimer’s live with close family members, who carry the physical, psychological and even economic burden of caring for patients. In order to support family members, and to make the care work more gentle, support groups have been formed in recent years. For the families of those affected, however, awareness is the key. It is very important for the doctor to tell the truth to the patient and his or her environment. “It is a brain disease that the treatment does not cure, but it brings an atmosphere of tranquility. The family member is still the same person, of course, but little by little his personality will also begin to change in the patient’s arrivals,” says expert Jacques Selmés, secretary of the Alzheimer’s Foundation.

Ten years ago this disease was almost unknown to society, and by the time consultations were held, the patient's intelligence was severely impaired. Specialists estimate that about ten months pass between the appearance of the first symptoms and the visit to the doctor, and another ten between this consultation and the moment when the diagnosis is established. If we were able to reduce those long months that go almost unnoticed, to fix the diagnosis as soon as possible, and to start the treatment, things would go differently for everyone, both the patient and the caregivers.