Alzheimer’s Disease: The Most Common Form of Dementia

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative illness. Among the various types of dementias, Alzheimer’s is the most common. Alzheimer’s disease impacts the parts of the brain that control for thought, memory, and language. The disease tends to be progressive with most people – it will start with mild symptoms (slight forgetfulness) and elevate to more serious symptoms, such as the inability to hold a conversation or respond to cues in the environment. As such, it can dramatically impact one’s ability to conduct daily activities, interactions with society, and overall quality of life.

The disease is named after German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer, who identified the first case of the disease in 1901.

How many people have Alzheimer’s disease?

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), as many as 5.8 million Americans were living with Alzheimer’s disease in 2020. Approximately 5.6 million were aged 65 and older while about 200,000 were under age 65 with younger-onset Alzheimer’s. By the year 2060, the population of people with Alzheimer’s in the US is expected to approach 14 million.

While Alzheimer’s tends to concentrate on western nations, this trend is changing. Today, the number of people with Alzheimer’s globally is unclear, but estimated to be as high as 24 million. With advances in technology worldwide, both established and developing nations are aging faster than before and with this, there will be significant growth in Alzheimer’s patients globally as well.

What is the difference between Dementia and Alzheimer’s?

This is a very common question as both concern functions of the brain. According to the Mayo Clinic, dementia is an umbrella term that describes a wide range of symptoms that impact people’s daily activities. Common symptoms of dementia include:

• A decline in memory
• Changes in thinking skills
• Poor judgment and reasoning skills
• Decreased focus and attention
• Changes in language
• Changes in behavior

While dementia is the umbrella term, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. However, it’s worth noting that there are many different types and causes of dementia, including:

• Lewy body dementia
• Frontotemporal dementia
• Vascular dementia
• Limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy
• Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
• Parkinson’s disease dementia
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
• Huntington’s disease
• Mixed dementia

Dementia is a general term whereas Alzheimer’s disease is a specific brain disease. Typically, Alzheimer’s correlates with dementia symptoms that worsen overtime. Alzheimer’s disease first affects the part of the brain associated with learning. Early symptoms of Alzheimer’s can include changes in memory, thinking and reasoning skills. As the disease progresses, symptoms become more severe.