Naslov
Contemporary treatment and care for people with Alzheimer's disease and Croatian reality

Autori
Mimica, Ninoslav

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, stručni

Izvornik
Periodicum biologorum 109 (Suppl. 2) - Abstracts of the 5th Croatian Congress of Pharmacology and 2nd Congress of Croatian Physiological Society with international participation / Vitale, Branko - Zagreb : Hrvatsko prirodoslovno društvo, 2007, 42-42

Skup
5th Croatian Congress of Pharmacology and 2nd Congress of Croatian Physiological Society with international participation

Mjesto i datum
Osijek, Hrvatska, 19.09.2007. - 22.09.2007

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Domaća recenzija

Ključne riječi
contemporary; treatment; Alzheimer's disease; Croatian reality

Sažetak
For the treatment of dementia in persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD), at the moment in the World, five drugs (tacrine ; donepezil ; rivastigmine ; galantamine and memantine) are approved. Among them in Croatia, till now, only two e.g. donepezil (Aricept ; Yasnal) and memantine (Ebixa) are registered, but not single one is on reimbursement list of Croatian Institute for Health Insurance. Thus, these drugs have relatively high cost which makes them almost unavailable to patients. Even though Croatian algorithm for psychopharmacological treatment of AD, done by Croatian association for clinical psychiatry, exists and suggests which anti-dementia drug should be given in particular stage of AD, these patients are more often prescribed alternative or adjuvant treatment (ginkgo biloba ; nootropics ; statins ; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ; omega-3 fatty acids ; vitamins ; NADH ; trace elements ; etc.). Among people with dementia (PWD) along with cognitive deficits often there might be present behavioural disturbance, sleep disturbance, psychiatric symptoms (depression, anxiety, psychosis with or without hallucinations, mania, obsessive-compulsive disorder, alcohol dependence), involuntary emotional expression disorder and other. For treatment of these conditions, clinicians use antipsychotics, antidepressants, anxiolytics, hypnotics and other medication. Since current therapy of AD is not etiological, and AD is chronic and progressive disease, over period of time the care for patient becomes essential and the role of career becomes crucial. Therefore, education for caregivers and concern for there own health represent significant part in complete care and management of AD. Establishing daily-care centers for PWD will help their families a lot and lengthen patients period spent at home. In advanced phases of AD, in spite of contemporary psychopharmacotherapy and family care, these patients will demand accommodation in specialized institutions and therefore it is necessary to stimulate development of nursing homes for PWD which will provide adequate professional care and treatment 24-hours a day. Today we record tremendous increase in prevalence of AD everywhere in the World, and it is expected that the number of cases will quadruple by 2040 making AD leading health priority. Therefore, it is understandable that great effort and humongous amount of money is put in research, on a daily bases, of new treatment possibilities of this late-life disease. In the near future we expect greater improvements in practical psychopharmacological therapy of PWD, but also some positive movements in PWD care in Croatia.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Kliničke medicinske znanosti

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