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Mexico Puts Alzheimer’s in Primary-Care Protocols as Officials Urge Prevention

The move responds to warnings of widespread underdiagnosis driven by scarce diagnostic capacity.

Overview

  • Health authorities said Alzheimer’s is now included in the PRONAM guidelines for first-level care to emphasize prevention and earlier detection, noting research that up to 40% of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed by addressing modifiable risks.
  • CSG secretary Patricia Clark highlighted hearing loss, hypertension, obesity, smoking, heavy alcohol use, diabetes and depression as key risks, adding that existing protocols for hypertension, obesity and diabetes create leverage points for action.
  • Mexico faces an estimated 1.3 million people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, with reports indicating up to nine in ten cases go undiagnosed amid stigma and delayed help‑seeking.
  • A recent Economist Impact analysis cited scarce MRI equipment, limited biomarker testing and the absence of a unified primary‑care training model, while noting that the National Dementia Plan updated in 2024 remains only partially implemented.
  • Regional reports from Argentina describe hundreds of thousands of cases and highlight new blood‑biomarker research presented at AAIC 2025, underscoring pressure to expand diagnostic capacity and caregiver support.