ABOUT 6.8 million Filipinos are in their twilight years—and they need all the help they can get.

In a bid to help address health problems associated with the graying of the global population, including that of the Philippines, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) recently conducted a Science Information Forum on “Quality Aging.”

Held on December 13 at the Hyatt Hotel, Manila, the forum underscored the crucial role of the newly established DOST-backed Philippine National Institute for Aging (PNIA) headed by US-based board certified neurologist and neuropathologist, Dr. Patricio Reyes, as government and other sectors strengthen their campaigns for healthy living and quality aging.

The institute operates on the concept that intrauterine life is vital to normal aging and that healthy living should cut across life spans.

At present, senior citizens in the country number to about 6.8 million. This figure is expected to reach 12 million by the year 2040.

A range of degenerative diseases accompany aging, such as cancer, heart disease, strokes, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Disease, the most common cause of dementia  which mainly targets the brain. An added burden to elderly patients and their families is the high cost of nursing homes.

Dr. Reyes said that in the United States alone, over five million are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Of the total number of nursing home patients around the world, 50 percent are afflicted with Alzheimer’s.

“Caring for somebody with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease requires 24 hours of attention.

Nobody is that strong to do it for many years. The lifespan of a person with Alzheimer’s disease takes many years,” Reyes said.  

According to him, over 50 percent of caregivers suffer from depression.

Dr. Reyes, however, reiterated that degenerative diseases do not always occur in old age. He underscored that, in some cases, the disease originated from a brain injury or head trauma acquired in youth due to a fall, an accident or a sports mishap, similar to what boxing champ Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao experienced in his fight against Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez.

According to Reyes, a board member of the American Ringside Physician Association, the disease may develop over time and manifest itself many years after the injury was incurred.

With its “from the womb to the tomb” approach, PNIA is seen as an effective vehicle for laying down the proper infrastructure to curb degenerative diseases and address the needs of the country’s elderly population, a segment that is seen to continue growing due to people’s increasing life spans.

Among others, PNIA aims to study the country’s different tribes and highland communities and compare their diet, physical activities and other lifestyle habits with those of lowlanders.

The institute will also undertake basic science and clinical research and build rapid brain autopsy centers in the country.

“If we become successful with the concept here in the Philippines, we will become the only country in Asia to have a rapid brain autopsy center,” said Reyes, who introduced the concept in the United States.