In the opinion of the neurologist Pablo Martínez-Lage, director scientist of the Foundation quotation Alzheimer's and one of the world's leading experts in this disease, "the greatest advance in the research of this dementia in the last decade has been to have reliable biomarkers that tell us when the pathological events of Alzheimer's are occurring in a brain, even if that person does not yet show any symptoms".

This was highlighted by the expert on the occasion of the presentation of the first online course on "Comprehensive approach to Alzheimer's disease", organized by the School of Pharmacy and Nutrition of the University of Navarra and aimed at healthcare professionals. This program -the first of its kind specialization program taught online in Spain- has 15 experts from the field of research, attendance, social services, Nursing, Pharmacy, Nutrition or associations of relatives of patients, among others, with the goal to offer a complete and comprehensive view of the disease.

Dr. Martínez-Lage emphasizes that courses such as this one are essential for the training of the staff healthcare: "Healthcare professionals can do a lot to improve the quality of life of patients and their families, regardless of the fact that there are no curative treatments. Precisely courses like this one advocate modernizing the training of professionals on new cognitive screening techniques, promote early diagnosis and treatment and respect for the autonomy of patients, who demand answers that the healthcare professional must be able to give, both from the therapeutic point of view and staff", stresses the neurologist.

"Alzheimer's is not an irremediable consequence of age."

This course -which will begin to be taught online in February 2018-, is coordinated by the Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Navarra María Javier Ramírez, researcher and director of group of Neuropharmacology of Alzheimer's Disease and Depression(IdiSNA). As the expert recalls, "the biomarkers we are using at research allow us to advance the diagnosis to the very mild stages of dementia, and even in the pre-dementia stages (mild cognitive impairment, which we can now confirm whether or not it is due to Alzheimer's disease)". "This precision in diagnosis will be crucial," he warns, "because it will allow patients to take the available drugs as soon as possible and because we will be able to study the disease in these early stages, improve these biomarkers and develop new treatments".

In this regard, Martínez-Lage insists on the leading role of early diagnosis: "Alzheimer's disease is not inherent, connatural to age, but an ailment that must be diagnosed and treated with the means at our disposal, and healthcare professionals must know them in order to put them at the service of the patient".

The registration to this course is open on its website. Likewise, it is planned to apply for the accreditation of the training Continuing Education of the health professions in the National Health System for physicians, dieticians-nutritionists, nurses and pharmacists.