Increase in Dementia Statistics in Iran

Babak Zamani, the president of the International Congress of Neurology and Clinical Electrophysiology, announced on Monday, April 2, that the statistics of 'dementia' are increasing in Iran. According to ISNA news agency, Mr. Zamani made this statement on the eve of the 24th International Congress of Neurology and Clinical Electrophysiology. He attributed the rise in dementia statistics in Iran to the 'increased lifespan of individuals' and stated that raising public awareness would reduce the statistics of common brain and nerve diseases. The president of the International Congress of Neurology and Clinical Electrophysiology named 'stroke' as the most common brain and nerve disease in Iran and the world, adding that it is the second leading cause of death in Iran. Babak Zamani also mentioned that some treatments, such as stroke treatment in Iran, have 'not progressed as they should have.' According to Hassan Ghazizadeh, the Minister of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education, 100,000 strokes occur annually in Iran. Mr. Ghazizadeh stated that 25,000 people die each year from strokes in Iran and that the country is 'still far from the standards of advanced countries' in preventing strokes and medical care. He noted that 'due to the lack of initial treatment measures, about 70% of stroke patients become permanently disabled.' Reza Malekzadeh, the Deputy Minister of Research and Technology at the Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education, also announced last March that approximately 500,000 people in Iran suffer from heart and brain strokes each year, with nearly 160,000 losing their lives. According to media reports, experts believe that although life expectancy in Iran has increased, heart and brain diseases have also risen among the younger generation. Unhealthy diets, high tobacco consumption, incorrect lifestyles, and lack of physical activity contribute to obesity, increased fat and blood pressure, and consequently, heart and brain complications.