World Alzheimer’s Day aims to raise awareness, highlight issues faced by people affected by dementia and demonstrate how we can overcome them to help people live well with dementia.
What is dementia?
Dementia is a syndrome (a group of related symptoms) associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning. There are many different causes of dementia, and many different types. People often get confused about the difference between Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia and, together with vascular dementia, makes up the majority of cases.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia in the UK. Dementia is a syndrome (a group of related symptoms) associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning. It can affect memory, thinking skills and other mental abilities. The exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is not yet fully understood, although a number of things are thought to increase your risk of developing the condition. These include:
- increasing age
- a family history of the condition
- untreated depression, although depression can also be one of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease
- lifestyle factors and conditions associated with cardiovascular disease
Find support near you: alzheimers.org.uk/find-support-near-you