• World Mental Health Day will be celebrated on October 10, an opportune time to reinforce the message that 45 percent of the risk of dementia can be prevented or delayed through lifestyle changes and the management of chronic diseases.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- Public health professionals from Las Tunas discussed the risk factors for dementia and its link to noncommunicable diseases during a recent meeting of the Ateneo forum: Prevention and Control of Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases—Dr. Ignacio Macías Castro.

The event brought together epidemiologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, health promoters, and physicians, who took a multidisciplinary approach to addressing the impact of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and strategies for the early detection and prevention of dementia.

Psychologist Raidel Bejerano Balmaceda emphasized the need to intervene before a diagnosis is confirmed. In his view, screening should begin at age 25 to guide families on how to care for and maintain mental health.

Bejerano Balmaceda also reflected on the conditions necessary for caring for patients and preventing new cases from the perspective of caregivers. He mentioned the use of the Mini-Mental State Examination in healthcare settings, monitoring factors associated with loneliness, and gender differences in dementia.

For his part, Dr. Carlos Del Risco Gamboa, head of Mental Health Services for the municipal seat, addressed the incidence of suicide cases associated with dementia and depressive episodes. He emphasized the urgent need to revitalize health education so that the public can recognize the symptoms and seek medical attention without delay.

Del Risco Gamboa noted that the response to dementia must be multisectoral, involving prevention committees and social workers in the communities, along with healthcare staff at medical clinics and the basic health team.