Every 3 seconds someone in the world develops dementia. But of this huge tide of people most do not receive a diagnosis – let alone treatment and care. In 2017, there will be an expected 10 million new cases of dementia. Most people with dementia live in low and middle income countries. As few as 10% of people living with dementia in these countries will receive a diagnosis.

More needs to be done to tackle the stigma surrounding this disease. Individuals who are diagnosed also often receive a lower standard of care and may face exclusion from everyday life. Without a diagnosis, people with dementia and their care partners are unable to access the treatment and support they need.

这个世界阿尔茨海默氏症的月份，我们呼吁所有人认识到痴呆症的警告信号，以便他们可以尽早寻求建议和支持。在疾病过程中早些时候做出的痴呆症的诊断至关重要，以确保受影响的人能尽可能地生活。较早的诊断很重要，因为：

1. 它使患有痴呆症患者及其护理伙伴的人能够更好地应对疾病的发展，包括能够对他们的独立性，家庭和法律事务做出决定，同时他们仍然有能力这样做。
2. 它为患有痴呆症患者提供了一个更好的机会，可以从可用的药物和非药物疗法中受益，这些药物和非药物疗法可能会改善其认知并提高其生活质量。
3. 如果足够及时诊断，它使受影响的人通过参加新的临床试验来对研究产生重大影响。

没有简单的测试来诊断痴呆症。可以通过与亲戚或朋友一起对个人的问题进行仔细的历史以及对个人的身心状态的检查，从而进行合理准确的诊断。

More research into diagnosis of dementia is paramount, but has historically focused on patients already exhibiting dementia symptoms. Clinical trials performed in these people have been disappointing.最近的诊断工作已经开始认识到疾病中长期止动物阶段的重要性，并有利于疾病进展初期的疗法和其他干预措施的发展。这表明，随着我们对疾病的理解的增长，早期诊断将变得越来越重要。这必须伴随着增加医疗保健能力和更好的护理服务。

全球痴呆计划世界卫生组织（WHO）于2017年5月通过了世界卫生组织（WHO）促使每个政府都对痴呆症的诊断有所了解。该计划包括145个政府到2025年制定国家计划的目标，但到目前为止，在194名成员国制定了有关痴呆症计划的人中，少于30个。90多个国家 /地区的阿尔茨海默氏症协会倡导鼓励制定这些计划，并为寻求诊断提供支持和建议，并在诊断后进行生活。

Dementia is not a normal part of ageing. You can share our ‘10 warning signs of dementia’ campaign graphic above. If yourself or anyone you know are worried about any of these symptoms, speak to a doctor or contact the Alzheimer association in your country.

All over the world people are helping spread these messages through thousands of activities. Join the World Alzheimer’s Month campaign by using the hashtag #WorldAlzMonth and visitinghttps://www.worldalzmonth.org/涉足。

ADI are proud partners with BMC.