Main symptoms
- •Recent memory loss
- •Language difficulties
- •Time and place disorientation
- •Trouble planning and problem-solving
- •Mood and personality changes
- •Social withdrawal, apathy
- •Confusion with familiar tasks
- •Impaired judgement
Risk factors
- ⚠️ Age over 65 (risk ×2 every 5 years)
- ⚠️ Family history (ApoE4 gene)
- ⚠️ Female sex (60% of cases)
- ⚠️ Untreated hypertension
- ⚠️ Type 2 diabetes
- ⚠️ Mid-life obesity
- ⚠️ Smoking, excessive alcohol
- ⚠️ Sedentary lifestyle
- ⚠️ Low education level
- ⚠️ Repeated head trauma
- ⚠️ Untreated depression
- ⚠️ Uncorrected hearing loss
Management and treatments
**No cure**. Symptomatic: acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine), memantine. **New drugs**: lecanemab, aducanumab (anti-amyloid) — not yet available in Morocco. **Comprehensive care**: speech therapy, cognitive stimulation, home adaptation, caregiver support, Moroccan Alzheimer Association (AMA). ALD recognition = 100% reimbursed.
Prevention
**FINGER strategy** (Lancet 2015, reduces risk by 25%): 150 min/week of physical activity, Mediterranean diet, cognitive stimulation, active social life, cardiovascular control (BP, diabetes, cholesterol), 7-9h sleep, hearing correction, stop smoking, limit alcohol.
Frequently asked questions
Failing memory after 60 — should I worry?+
Mild cognitive decline is normal. Red flags: repeated forgetting of recent events, loss of landmarks, language difficulty → neurology consultation.
Is Alzheimer's hereditary?+
Familial forms are rare (< 5%). Sporadic forms (95%): ApoE4 increases risk ×3 but is not deterministic.
What exams for diagnosis?+
Cognitive tests (MMSE, MoCA), brain MRI, blood panel, sometimes amyloid PET scan or lumbar puncture.
Support structures in Morocco?+
Moroccan Alzheimer Association (Rabat, Casablanca), CHU geriatric centres. Long-term care homes are developing.