Busting myths about dementia

An estimated four million Indians suffer from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Here’s what you should know about the condition

Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are the same thing

False

Dementia is the name for a group of symptoms that include problems with memory, thinking, problem-solving, language and perception. It can be caused by different diseases that affect the brain. Alzheimer’s is just one of these, albeit the most common.

Smoking can cause dementia to develop

Probably

“This is a tricky one. Although we can’t say that smoking definitely causes dementia, there is strong evidence it can increase your risk,” says Dr James Pickett, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Society in the UK. According to the World Health Organisation, 14 per cent of Alzheimer’s disease cases worldwide can potentially be attributed to smoking. The two most common forms of dementia — Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia — have both been linked to problems with the vascular system, and smoking increases the risk of strokes or small bleeds in the brain, which are risk factors for dementia. “That said, it’s difficult to know the extent that tobacco alone increases your risk of developing it,” says Dr Pickett.

Only elderly people get the illness

False

While age is the biggest risk factor for dementia, people under 65 could also develop the condition. This is called early-onset dementia. Certain types of dementia, like fronto-temporal (FTD), more typically set in before the age of 65, and some very rare genetic mutations can lead to dementia in your 30s or even during childhood.

A Mediterranean diet lowers your risk

True

Good news — what you eat could lower your risk of developing dementia. Mediterranean diets are traditionally high in fruits, vegetables, legumes and cereals, with moderate consumption of oily fish and dairy, while being low in meat, sugar and saturated fat. Most fat in this type of diet comes from olive oil, and alcohol is consumed in moderation with meals. “Inflammation in the brain is associated with Alzheimer’s disease, and there are signs that following this diet could reduce such chemical inflammation,” says Dr Pickett.

People who have had head injuries are more likely to develop it

To be confirmed

Although there is increasing evidence of a link between brain injuries — which may be caused by anything from car crashes to repeatedly heading footballs — and dementia, the short answer is we just don’t know enough about this area yet.

TV addicts are more at risk than gym bunnies

True

“We always say that if you want to try and reduce your risk of dementia, what is good for your heart is good for your head,” says Dr Pickett. “Excluding other factors like genetics or pre-existing conditions, people who have a more sedentary lifestyle do tend to be more at risk of poor cardiovascular health, depression and diabetes, which are each major risk factors for dementia.” From running to road-bike racing, from karate to country walks, there are many ways in which to exercise. Choose something that is accessible to you, which you enjoy and are likely to keep up.

Coconut oil keeps your brain working properly

False

“This is one of the most common enquiries we get due to its well-documented health benefits,” says Dr Pickett. “But when it comes to coconut oil and dementia, there just isn’t enough research for us to say it definitely helps.” The theory goes that brain cells in someone with Alzheimer’s are not as good at getting their energy from blood sugars as they would usually be in a healthy brain. Coconut oil is rumoured to be able to give the brain a boost by providing an alternative energy source for brain cells. “The reality is that there is limited evidence to show this actually works,” adds Dr Pickett.

Women are more likely to get Alzheimer’s

True

Women with dementia outnumber men almost two to one and brain cells die a lot faster in women than in men. But it isn’t simply because the female of the species tends to live longer. “The truth is we don’t fully know why this is the case, but one of the main theories rests with the female hormone, oestrogen,” says Dr Pickett. “It has a protective effect on blood pressure and brain cognition, but during menopause women stop producing as much, which could explain why more women than men currently have dementia.”

You are more likely to get dementia if one of your parents had it

False

Most dementias are not passed down through the family, and more than 99 per cent of Alzheimer’s disease cases are not hereditary. Genetic links are more common in rarer types of dementia, like FTD, but this makes up a tiny fraction of all cases. “About 3 per cent of people develop Alzheimer’s disease before they are 60 and in these instances it is most likely due to a faulty gene being passed through the family,” says Dr Pickett.

— Daily Mirror

MUMBAI MIRROR- 28 JANUARY 2019- Pg.- 1.

Want NOC to sell flat? Donate to the ‘brotherhood’ trust

54 flat owners in a sprawling Kandivali society accuse the managing committee of an audacious fraud

Raheja Eternity residents tell cops they’re made to pay Rs 3 lakh to a trust ‘spreading brotherhood’ for NOC to sell the flats; managing committee says not aware of this

| Payal.Gwalani@timesgroup.com

TWEETS @MumbaiMirror

A trust formed by a few members of a sprawling housing society in Kandivali has allegedly coerced nine flat owners into shelling out Rs 25 lakh in total under the guise of donations to get no-objection certificates (NOCs) for sale of property.

The trust allegedly has the blessings of the building’s managing committee and some of the unwilling donors had to take loans to make these payments.

Fifty-four of the 226 flat owners of the 20-floor three-wing Raheja Eternity in Thakur Village, Kandivali East, wrote to the deputy registrar of societies and the Samata Nagar police last week, alleging that the charitable trust — named Eternity Social, Cultural and Charitable Organisation — run independently by 11 people had threatened to withhold the NOC from the housing society required for transfer of ownership unless the seller/buyer paid a “donation” running into lakhs of rupees. It had flagged this issue with the charity commissioner in November last year.

As per the Maharashtra Cooperative Housing Society Bye Laws, if a flat goes for resale, the housing society can collect an ownership transfer fee. But this amount is capped at Rs 25,000.

Residents pointed out that only seven of the 11 founders of the trust are members of the housing society. The others live in highrises in Kandivali and Borivali. As per its charter, a copy of which was procured by the complainants

under the Right to Information Act from the office of the charity commissioner, the trust aims at promoting a “feeling of universal brotherhood in the western suburbs of Mumbai, especially Thakur Village.” This allows any Western suburb resident to become a member of the trust.

But prefixing ‘Eternity’ to its name, the trust is misleading buyers into thinking that it is associated with the housing society, said the complainants. “It makes buyers think the building management committee is asking for the payment. The trust is a separate entity, unrelated to the society,” said Manish Dokaniya, a resident. Complainants want the trust’s name to be changed.

Residents said that they learned of the trust’s formation at the housing society’s annual general meeting in September last year. They claimed that the society’s managing committee told them categorically that although transfer fee was capped at Rs 25,000, buyers were expected to donate to the trust.

“This was just a guise to collect extra money. A trust can accept lakhs of rupees by showing it as a charitable donation,” said Umesh Gupta, former Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute and one of the 54 complainants.

Ownership of nine flats has changed hands since September and the trust has allegedly collected around Rs 25 lakh in total through “donations”, sometimes taking Rs 2 lakh for a 2BHK and Rs 3 lakh for a 3BHK.

Ajay Singh, who paid Rs 3.5 lakh to sell his 16th floor flat, said he approached the housing society’s managing committee for an NOC after taking the token amount from the buyer. “The committee told me straight off that other than the transfer fee that is to be paid to the society, I would have to donate to the trust. When I protested, they threatened to withhold the NOC,” Singh said. Since Singh had already accepted partial payment from the buyer, he had to bow to the diktat.

Deepak Gudhia, original owner of a third floor flat in the B wing who was also forced to contribute to the trust under duress, said when he approached the managing committee for an NOC to sell his property, the committee went to the extent of claiming that there was a rule that donations to the trust was mandatory. “The committee members asked me for Rs 2 lakh. I told them that I was in a financial crunch and could not afford to make any extra payment. But they stalled issuance of an NOC.” Things came to such a pass that it looked like the sale would be called off. “I then borrowed money to raise this amount. Even the buyer pitched in with Rs 75,000 just so that the deal could go through. I was also made to sign a letter stating that I was donating to the trust of my own accord,” said Gudhia.

The 54 residents also alleged that despite being a charitable organisation, the trust demands a membership fee. “It also requires the approval of two existing members for induction of new members. If it is related to or run by the Raheja Eternity building management, shouldn’t all residents automatically become members of it?” asked Rajesh Kumar, another resident.

SK Sahu, chairman of the society, refused to comment on the allegations, saying he was not the “appropriate” authority to respond to them.

Ashish Shrivastava, secretary of the society, confirmed that the trust was formed by 11 individuals and not by the society. He claimed that he was not aware of any money being demanded in the name of the society.

Kiran Thakkar, president of the trust, directed this correspondent to get in touch with Shrivastava.

An official from the deputy registrar’s office in Kandivali confirmed the receipt of the complaint, but refused to comment on it before completion of an investigation.

(From left) Three of the 54 complainants Umesh Gupta, Rajesh Kumar and Smrutikant Jindal