75 percent of dementia patients fail to receive timely diagnosis: Vietnamese health experts

Early diagnosis and treatment can help slow down the progression of dementia and improve the lives of patients and their caregivers, but up to 75 percent did not receive a timely diagnosis, according to Vietnamese health specialists. Increasing age is the greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Around eight percent of people with Alzheimer’s disease are 60 years old or above. The majority of people with Alzheimer’s disease experience cognitive impairment and are dependent on others in daily activities. However, most dementia and Alzheimer’s disease cases are misunderstood as confusion in the elderly, thereby making the patients not given proper care, he added.