It is estimated that about 2.1 million of those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease live in sub-Saharan Africa.
Scientists at Georgetown University in Washington DC, US, have managed to accurately predict the onset of Alzheimer’s disease after years of study on a small sample involving 525 people aged over 70 years.
“This research is significant in the quest for a promising therapy for Alzheimer’s dementia especially in Africa. Alzheimer’s dementia is an irreversible disease, and therapies previously tested have been on patients who are already symptomatic,” said Linnet Ongeri, a researcher specialising in mental health at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri).
