7.3 Million Suffer from Alzheimer, Don’t Forget Them

A senior European commission official has conceded that member states "need to do more" to help people who suffer from Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

Imagine living 45 years with the person you love. Imagine sharing your life with that person. Imagine you both discover together that your partner suffers Alzheimer. Imagine a few weeks down that difficult road you only find out it becomes even harder. Imagine your partner now in treatment. Imagine you go visit the person with which you shared a life together. Imagine one day that person does not know who you are. Now imagine the 7.3 million people that suffer from Alzheimer.

The images described above come from movie. The Canadian Movie, “Away from Her” is an inspiring, heartbreaking and appropriate movie for all ages. It documents Alzheimer and has a deep message. Alzheimer needs to be discussed openly by society.

Nicholas Fahy said that, currently, "not enough" is known about how to treat Alzheimer's and other similar conditions. 7.3 million people aged between 30 and 99 said to suffer some form of dementia. Of the 7.3 million, more women are affected. Exactly 4.9 million women, of this group, and 2.4 million men.

Alzheimer is a complex disease. It is sometimes unpredictable. The manifestations and treatments show that further study and research is required. While patients at first may not completely loose their physical body strength, their memory and mental processes begin to dim out, one by one. Certain Alzheimer symptoms, such as depression, can be devastating. Clearly more should be done to research and bring the costs of treatment down.

The Parliament.com reported that the EU hearing was told that Alzheimer's is an "expensive disease". The estimated annual cost estimated was measured at €21,000 per patient across the member states.

MEP Marisa Matias, at the said there needs to be a "better understanding" of Alzheimer's which she described as the "forgotten" disease.