Alzheimer's disease in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia): realities and expectations

Abstract

Introduction. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by cognitive decline, primarily loss of memory for recent events. Despite the widespread prevalence of AD in the world, in Russia there is a high level of deficiency in diagnosing the disease. The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is a large subject of the Russian Federation; at the beginning of 2023, the population of the Republic was 997,565 people, and over the past 20 years, the share of elderly people (60 years and older) has increased 1.86 times (from 8.3% to 15 ,5%). The aim of the research: to assess the level of diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and predict the likely number of patients in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Materials and methods: to estimate the number of patients with AD, reports from neurologists of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and official data on the disease provided by the Yakut Republican Medical Information and Analytical Center were analyzed (YRMIAC). To predict the number of patients in the city of Yakutsk and the regions of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) for each age group of the population, the maximum and minimum proportions of people who could potentially suffer from AD were calculated. Based on various epidemiological studies, three forecast scripts have been identified: “Chinese”, “Japanese” and “American”. Results and discussion. According to official data, 45 patients diagnosed with AD are registered in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), of which 36 (80%) people live in Yakutsk. According to reports from neurologists for 2022, only 7 people are registered at the dispensary with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. If we extrapolate world data for the Republic Sakha (Yakutia), then the minimum number of patients with Alzheimer's disease should be 4,166.4 people and observed under the “Chinese” script, and the maximum number of patients – 8,428.5 people – under the “American” script. The largest number of patients is predicted in the industrial districts of the republic (Neryungri, Mirny and Aldan). The smallest number of patients with Alzheimer's disease is predicted in the Arctic and Northern districts, especially in Eveno-Bytantaysky and Anabarsky. Conclusion. Alzheimer's disease is one of the leading medical and social problems of the modern world. At this stage in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), improved diagnosis of the disease is required for the timely initiation of symptomatic therapy. The predicted number of patients determined by us in the city of Yakutsk and the districts of the Republic can serve as a guideline when screening patients for cognitive impairment.