According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 14 million people in the United States will be diagnosed with some form of dementia by the year 2060.
This article discusses types of dementia, the symptoms, who is affected by the conditions, and the screenings and tests used to diagnose them.
What Is Dementia?
Dementia refers to a decline in a person’s cognitive skills that can eventually lead to the loss of independence. Dementia is not curable, and the symptoms get worse over time.
The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, which affects 60%-80% of people with dementia. Other types of dementia include:
Vascular dementiaFronto-temporal dementiaLewy body dementiaMixed dementia
Early symptoms of dementia—confusion, difficulty with memory, loss of balance—can be mistaken for the normal side effects of aging.
The later signs of dementia are more obvious and include:
Getting lost in familiar areasDifficulty reading or writingInability to perform everyday tasksStruggling to manage moneyHallucinationsRepeating questionsImpulsive behaviorsInability to identify common objectsParanoiaDifficulty moving aroundLoss of interest in activities they used to enjoyLoss of empathy for others
How Common Is Dementia?
Dementia affects around 5 million people in the U.S. who are at least age 65. The number of people affected increases as age increases.
It’s estimated that by the year 2060, around 14 million people in the U.S. will have some type of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease alone affects about 6 million people in the U.S.
Dementia by Age & Sex
Dementia becomes more common as age increases. Approximately 1 out of every 3 people aged 85 or older will be diagnosed with some type of dementia.
Dementia is more common in people assigned female at birth than it is in people assigned male at birth. About 1 in 6 females and 1 in 10 males will develop dementia in their lifetime.
Causes and Risk Factors for Dementia
The exact cause of dementia is not known, but various types of dementia can be related to damage to cells in different parts of the brain. Genetics can also play a role in some types of dementia.
Other risk factors for dementia include:
Advanced ageHeart diseaseFamily historyHigh blood pressureHigh cholesterolSmokingTraumatic brain injury
Mortality Rates for Dementia
Dementia is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. It is estimated that in 2019, around 1.62 million people worldwide died from end-stage dementia. This number is expected to continue to increase over time.
People who died from dementia were also found to have serious health conditions—hip fractures, sepsis, pneumonia, dysphagia, decubitus ulcer, and bedridden status—more frequently than people who died from other causes.
Screening and Early Detection
The early symptoms of dementia are often recognized by family members or other people close to a person who is having difficulty with everyday tasks such as managing their money, organizing their medications, or shopping.
Screening for dementia is typically done by a primary healthcare provider once the symptoms are recognized. They start by getting a thorough history of the person’s symptoms. A provider will look for other possible non-dementia-related causes of a person’s symptoms, such as side effects of medication, vitamin deficiencies, a head injury, sleep apnea, or depression.
There are several screening tools available for dementia. These tests can be completed in 10 to 15 minutes.
Screening tests for dementia commonly used by primary healthcare providers include:
Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition (GPGOC) Mini-Cog Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)
Unfortunately, early identification of dementia does not reduce mortality rates. However, it does give people and their families more time to plan for future decline in function.
Summary
Dementia is a group of symptoms that affect cognitive function, such as thinking, decision-making, memory, and reasoning skills. There are different types of dementia, but Alzheimer’s disease is the most common.
Dementia affects around 5 million people in the U.S. over the age of 65, and this number increases as age increases. It is estimated that dementia will affect 14 million people in the U.S. by the year 2060.
Dementia affects women more frequently than men and is more common in African American and Hispanic populations than in Caucasian people. There is currently no cure for dementia, but early detection can help people plan for the future as their function declines.
A Word From Verywell
If you think you or a loved one may have dementia, know that there is support available. Start by talking to a healthcare provider to make sure you or your loved one gets an accurate diagnosis. Educating yourself about dementia and the progression of symptoms will help you prepare for the future. Consider joining a dementia support group for additional resources.
