November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month

Every November, Alzheimer’s Awareness Month is observed heighten awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and support for the million Americans living with it along with their friends and families.

What are signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease?

Although each individual is unique, experts have identified common warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease, including:

  • Memory loss, especially of recent events, names, places and other new information
  • Confusion about time and place
  • Struggling to complete familiar tasks such as brushing one’s teeth
  • Trouble finding appropriate words, for example in a sentence
  • Difficulties in judging situations
  • Changes in mood and personality

According to the 2024 StatPearls entry, Alzheimer’s Disease “is predominantly observed in older individuals. The global prevalence of dementia was reported to be 20.3 million in 1990, and it significantly increased to 43.8 million in 2016, representing a remarkable rise of 116%. From 1990 to 2019, the incidence and prevalence of Alzheimer disease and other dementias rose by 147.95% and 160.84%, respectively. Projections indicate that the number of people affected by dementia is expected to reach 150 million by 2050, representing a 4-fold increase.

The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease doubles every 5 years after age 65. Age-specific incidence rates significantly increase from less than 1% yearly before 65 to 6% per year after 85. Prevalence rates increase from 10% after the age of 65 to 40% after 85. Incidence rates of Alzheimer’s disease are slightly higher for women, especially after 85.”

More Information can be found on the CDC’s entry on Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimers.gov.

Emory University and Healthcare users can view the DynaMed entry on Alzheimer Dementia