BANGKOK, Sept 16 – The number of Thailand’s Alzheimer’s patients, currently estimated at 600,000 persons, will increase in accord with ageing of the population, according to the Public Health Ministry.
Boonchai Pipatvanichgul, director of the Prasat Neurological Institute at the Medical Services Department, said Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 10 per cent of the population at age 60 and older, and fully half of those aged more than 80 years.
As the population ages there will be more Alzheimer’s patients, he said, adding that the disease is associated with dementia, other brain-related symptoms or accidents.
Dr Boonchai said family members should closely observe the behaviour of the elderly and take them for brain function checks if they are found to suffer from short-term memory loss.
Treatment of Alzheimer’s can cost as much as Bt25,000-30,000 per patient/month, or much higher if the symptoms worsen, he said.
