Oak Street & Oregon Allergy Blog

What is dementia?
Dementia is a loss of brain function that occurs with certain diseases. Although there are many potential causes of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type. When we age and become forgetful, it is common to wonder what is normal and what is not. There are early and progressive symptoms that can indicate the potential onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

How many people have Alzheimer’s disease, and when does it begin?
It is estimated that 5.4 million Americans had Alzheimer’s disease in 2012. This includes 5.2 million people older than 65 and 200,000 people younger than 65. The likelihood of having Alzheimer’s disease increases with age. One in eight individuals older than 65, or 13 percent, has Alzheimer’s disease. And nearly half of people older than 85, or 45 percent, have Alzheimer’s disease. Because women in the United States generally live longer than men, women are more likely to develop this form of dementia.