10 early dementia warning signs everyone should know, according to the CDC

Key Points:

• Dementia, a general term for impaired cognitive abilities affecting daily activities, includes types such as Alzheimer's, frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body dementia, and vascular dementia, with around 57 million people affected globally as of 2021 and projections reaching 139 million by 2050.
• Early signs of dementia include memory loss disrupting daily life, challenges in planning or problem-solving, difficulty completing familiar tasks, confusion with time or place, and trouble understanding visual images and spatial relations.
• Additional early symptoms involve new problems with speaking or writing, misplacing items and inability to retrace steps, decreased judgment, withdrawal from social or work activities, and changes in mood and personality.
• Early diagnosis is crucial for planning, accessing therapies, and improving quality of life, as dementia progresses from early to late stages with worsening symptoms and increasing dependence on caregivers.
• Some signs of dementia may overlap with normal aging or other health conditions such as depression, vitamin deficiencies, or brain disorders, making professional evaluation essential for accurate diagnosis.