why are some patients not aware of their disease?

900,000 people suffer from Alzheimer's disease in France. Every year, the number of new cases diagnosed is estimated at 225,000. 50% of patients remain undiagnosed. According to a new US study, the lack of diagnosis could be related to the level of the patient's environment. Conversely, some patients, after diagnosis, continue to ignore the disease.

Addiction, education and dementia

585 people aged 65 and over participated in this study. Data on their level of education, their ability to do certain things (laundry, running, cooking, etc.) and their level of income were collected. 60% of patients are either undiagnosed (39.5%) or unaware of their disease. People who did not go to high school, went to the doctor alone and were able to cope with day-to-day activities were more likely to be undiagnosed.

Those who were recognized as sick but were not aware of it were also often alone at medical appointments, and were generally less educated. Halima Amjad, one of the authors of this study, decrypts this phenomenon: "if dementia is not severe and people are able to do the daily tasks alone, the symptoms of cognitive loss are usually more hidden, especially for patients who go to the doctor alone ". It is the entourage who can sometimes testify to health professionals, difficulties encountered by the sick person.

Levels of consciousness that vary

Dr. Thomas-Antérion, interviewed by France Alzheimer, explains that the awareness of the disease is variable: "You have people who, at a very severe stage of the disease, will remember very well that they have Alzheimer's disease.They will sometimes say "it's my head, it's normal" (…) Then you have patients, in the beginning of the disease , who completely deny, who do not hear the diagnosis and who say "I am not sick."

The fact of not being aware of his illness has a name: anosognosia.The patient thinks he does not have of particular difficulties, he is not aware of the things that can be dangerous for him and does not understand why his relatives bring him so much attention.In 2015, the badociation France Alzheimer conducted a survey to collect testimonies of patients They found that 80% of the people they are aware that their illness prevents them from performing certain daily tasks. Today, taking into account the number of patients and their relatives, Alzheimer's disease affects 3 million people in metropolitan France and France. the DOM-TOM.

Source: France Alzheimer