Our Work
Symposium on
Alzheimer's disease in the Middle East
Alzheimer's
disease and related illnesses have received relatively
little attention in the region of the Middle East, an
area with a population of over 225 million people.
Recent work has demonstrated important geographical
variations in the occurrence of AD, with studies showing
low incidence and prevalence of the disease in
Ballarbgarh, India and Ibadan, Nigeria, with high
prevalence and incidence in African Americans and
Hispanics in the USA. A recent report has found high AD
prevalence, despite low apolipoprotein E e4 allele
frequency, in Palestinian Arabs residing in Wadi Ara, in
northern Israel. There have been few epidemiological
studies of dementia performed in the Middle East. The
progressive aging of Middle Eastern populations supports
the importance of dementia studies in the region.
In April
2001,
a meeting endorsed by the
World Federation of Neurology, Alzheimer's Disease
International and the Pancyprian Association of
Alzheimer's Disease was held in Cyprus
to bring together workers concerned with the medical and
social aspects of AD.
Participants
were from Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Jordan,
Lebanon, The Palestinian Authority, Switzerland, United
Kingdom, USA, and Yugoslavia.
Dr. Nori
Graham, the president of Alzheimer's Disease
International, ran a well-attended workshop on caregiver
issues in dementia. Dr. Jeffrey Cummings from UCLA
presented a special plenary lecture on neuropsychiatric
aspects of AD. Presentations covered all aspects of AD,
mild cognitive impairment and related illnesses,
including diagnosis, treatment, pathophysiology,
pathology, genetics, epidemiology, and health
economics. Discussions also centered around relevant
issues of diet, coronary heart disease, hypertension and
homocysteine metabolism in Arab and Jewish populations
in the region. Ethical issues in late life and
approaches based on the Koran and Torah were also
discussed. The history of Alzheimer's disease in the
Middle East and in the world was reviewed. Recent
results from clinical trials in AD were presented, and
plans for new studies of amyloid beta protein
immunization and secretase therapy reviewed, with
consideration of the possibilities for extending
availability of clinical trials to Middle East
populations. The organizers met with Mr. Frixos
Savvides, Cyprus' Minister of Health, to discuss public
health issues and dementia in the region.
The meeting
was supported by the Institute for the Study of Aging,
Novartis, Glaxo, Pfizer, Inc., the National Institutes
of Health, Mrs. Barbara Sieratzky and Janssen-Cilag.
 With
a great scope and goals,
the
2nd International Symposium
on Alzheimer's Disease in the Middle East
had offered another exciting forum for researchers and
clinicians in their search for a cure for AD. This
symposium focused attention on neurodegenerative
disorders of the aged in the Middle East while raising
scientific, medical and social awareness of these
disorders in parallel with enhancing communication
amongst medical and scientific workers in the region.
The meeting brought together over 90 basic science
researchers, clinicians and social workers to discuss
Alzheimer's disease as an important health problem and
leading cause of dementia in the Middle East.
Participants included
individuals from Egypt, Greece, Iran, Israel, Jordan,
Qatar, Lebanon, Tunisia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia,
Switzerland, USA.
Attendees from the Palestinian Authority were
unfortunately unable to attend because of travel
restrictions.
 The meeting
was part of the ample scientific activities and events
held in conjunction with the 550th
anniversary of the University of Istanbul. Integrating
the symposium into the framework of these celebrations
has had a special meaning since the University of
Istanbul has stood as one of the most important academic
centers serving the Middle East region for centuries.
 The
meeting had served to foster research in the area of
aging in Middle East communities, and provide education
to Arab and Jewish workers in the field. We also
believe that the meeting will help to attain funding for
Alzheimer studies in the Middle East, which has
important humanitarian aspects for the Palestinian and
Jewish community worldwide. Furthermore, the meeting
represented an excellent platform to enhance
communication between Arab and Jewish health workers,
serving to further the peace process with practical
medical and scientific dialogue and collaboration.
 Through
its content and networking opportunities, the meeting
had lead to other studies in Middle East populations, an
area with unique features valuable for research,
including a high rate of consanguinity, high fat diet,
and smoking. The following targets were also reached
during the two days of the symposium:
-
Discussion of the
history of dementia and its societal impact on the
aging community in the Middle East
-
Identification of
different forms of neurodegenerative disorders,
including the many causes of dementia
-
Description of
behavioral features of Alzheimer's disease
-
Discussion of
appropriate treatment course for Alzheimer's disease
-
Understanding the scientific basis of new
Alzheimer’s disease therapies involving vaccination,
immunization and secretase inhibition.
The 2nd
International Symposium on Alzheimer's Disease and
Related Disorders in the Middle East was made possible
through a grant from the National Institutes of Health
(National Institute on Aging). This meeting was
endorsed by the World Federation of Neurology (WFN). WFN
members and all interested neurologists were encouraged
to attend. The meeting was opened to all neurologists
regardless of citizenship.
This meeting
was
generously supported by Abdi Ibrahim, Alzheimer's
Association USA, AstraZeneca, Case Western Reserve
University, Janssen Cilag, Lilly, Lundbeck, Novartis,
Pfizer, the Turkish Alzheimer Foundation, UCB Pharma,
and the University Hospitals of Cleveland.
Plans are
underway for a third meeting to be held as a satellite
to the 21st International Conference of
Alzheimer's Disease International in Istanbul, October
1-2, 2005.
We believe that we need to ensure a continuity of such
meetings in the Middle East, in order to demonstrate our
common aim to conquer Alzheimer’s disease and related
disorders as well as our solidarity as scientists and
physicians across borders, ethnicity, religion and
gender.
We invite
everyone to become part of this research forum and join
the fight against this devastating disease.
www.worldeventsforum.com/alz.htm
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