Azernews.Az

Ulviyya Poladova

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Medical geneticist Arzu Quliyeva has drawn attention to the increasing global and national impact of neurodegenerative diseases during a detailed presentation focusing on their molecular mechanisms, epidemiological trends, and genetic risk factors.

AzerNEWS reports that in her lecture, Quliyeva explained that although diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s manifest differently, they share several common pathological mechanisms known as the “Hallmarks of Neurodegenerative Diseases.”

These include pathological protein aggregation, where misfolded proteins accumulate and damage brain tissue; neuroinflammation, which triggers an immune response that gradually harms healthy neurons; synaptic and neuronal loss, leading to the breakdown of communication between brain cells; and mitochondrial dysfunction, which disrupts cellular energy production.

A significant part of the presentation focused on Alzheimer’s disease. Quliyeva identified age as the strongest risk factor, while also noting a higher prevalence among women. She emphasized the importance of genetic predisposition, stating that individuals with a family history of Alzheimer’s face a significantly increased risk. According to her, having an affected relative can raise the likelihood of developing the disease by three to six times, while early-onset cases in close family members can increase the risk even further.

She described neurodegenerative diseases as one of the most complex health challenges of the 21st century, marked by the gradual and irreversible loss of neurons, which leads to progressive cognitive and motor decline.

Quliyeva also noted that in Azerbaijan, these conditions are becoming an increasingly important public health issue, driven in part by demographic aging trends.