All About Dementia in Medical Mythology

With Ageing, Dementia is Unavoidable

This assertion is untrue. Aging does not necessarily cause dementia. According to a study by the Alzheimer's Association, the most prevalent kind of dementia, Alzheimer's disease, affects 3% of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74. Dementia is diagnosed in 17% of adults aged 75 to 84 and 32% of those aged 85 and above due to the risk rising with age.

Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia are The Same Thing

This is not entirely accurate. Alzheimer's disease is a kind of dementia that affects 60 to 80 % of people with dementia. Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), vascular dementia, mixed dementia, and Lewy body dementia are further forms of dementia.

Age-Related Diseases National Institute. According to Trusted Source, dementia is "the loss of behavioral and cognitive abilities to the point that it interferes with a person's everyday life and activities" (thinking, remembering, and reasoning).

Even while different types of dementia have similar traits, they all have unique underlying pathologies.

There is evidence that the formation of "plaques" and "tangles" in the brain is related to Alzheimer's disease. The brain cells are eventually killed by these structures' interference with them. Contrarily, in vascular dementia, brain cells die as a consequence of a lack of oxygen, which might happen as a result of a stroke, for instance.

Another example of FTD is the death of brain cells in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain due to the formation of aberrant protein complexes.

I will Develop Dementia Since a Family Member Does.

That dementia is solely inherited is a prevalent fallacy. In other words, if a person has a family member who has been diagnosed with dementia, they are bound to have the disease themselves. That is untrue.

Although certain kinds of dementia have a hereditary component, the vast majority of cases do not have a significant genetic association.

Age is the most important risk factor for dementia, contrary to hereditary variables, as we discussed above. However, the likelihood of Alzheimer's developing in a child or grandchild is increased if a parent or grandparent did so before age 65.

However, early-onset Alzheimer's is not very prevalent. On average, 5.5% of all instances of Alzheimer's have it.

Most dementia instances are not inherited since Alzheimer's disease accounts for the bulk of dementia cases. FTD, which is considerably less frequent, has a stronger hereditary connection, but just because a parent or grandmother has the disorder does not ensure that their children or grandchildren will as well.

FTD now affects 15 to 22 persons out of every 100,000, according to Trusted Source statistics. 10-15% of these people have a significant family history of the disease.

Only Elderly Persons are Afflicted by Dementia.

Although dementia is more likely to strike older people, it can sometimes strike younger folks as well. Scientists have made estimates. According to a reliable source, 38 to 260 persons per 100,000 people, or 0.0386 to 0.386%, acquire early-onset dementia between the ages of 30 and 64.

This rises to about 420 persons per 100,000 people, or 0.4%, for those in the 55-to-64 age group.

Alzheimer's is a Result of Using Aluminum Cookware

Scientists injected rabbits with large doses of aluminum in the 1960s. They discovered that the rats had neurological abnormalities that resembled those that manifest in Alzheimer's patients' brains.

In certain investigations Trusted Source, aluminum has also been found in the plaques linked to Alzheimer's. However, scientists have not found a causative relationship between aluminum and the illness; aluminum is found in the healthy brain as well.

The notion that drinking from aluminum cans or cooking in metal pots raises the risk of Alzheimer's disease persists in the wake of this research.

Since those initial studies, however, researchers have not discovered any conclusive evidence between using aluminum pots and pans to Alzheimer's disease.

Although studies will ultimately pinpoint the exact link between aluminum and Alzheimer's, dietary aluminum intake is not anticipated to have a significant impact.

The Alzheimer's Society explains that the structure of aluminum in food and drink makes it difficult for the body to absorb. As a result, less than 1% of the quantity available in food and drink is taken up. The kidneys filter away the majority of the aluminum that is ingested by the body.

A meaningful life is over when someone develops dementia. Fortunately, this is not the situation. Many persons who have been diagnosed with dementia have fulfilling lives. 

While it is true that these modifications may become essential as the illness worsens, in mild forms of dementia, they may not be required at all. Trusted Source Changes in behavior are probable as dementia gets worse, but this does not indicate that the person can no longer live a full life. 

Jeremy Hughes, a former chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, claims that "too many people are in the dark about dementia — many feel that a dementia diagnosis means someone is immediately incapable of living a normal life, while myths and misunderstandings continue to contribute to the stigma and isolation that many people will feel."

Memory Loss is a Hallmark of Dementia

Memory loss can be a precursor to dementia, although dementia does not always start with memory loss. Human memory is unreliable, and we all occasionally forget things. It is essential to consult a doctor if memory loss is obstructing daily living, nevertheless.

Although memory problems are frequently an early indicator. That is not the case for other types of dementia, according to a dependable source of Alzheimer's disease. For instance, early FTD warning signs and symptoms may include personality and mood changes, linguistic problems, and compulsive behavior.

Dementia is Always Preventable

Unfortunately, this is incorrect. However, it's important to note that several circumstances can either postpone the start of specific forms of dementia or lower the probability that they will occur.

For instance, the 2020 report from the Lancet Commission. There are 12 variables that raise the risk of dementia, according to a trusted source on dementia prevention, management, and care:

1. Less education
2. Hypertension
3. Hearing impairment
4. Smoking
5. Obesity
6. Depression
7. Physical inactivity
8. Diabetes
9. Low levels of social contact
10. Alcohol consumption
11. Traumatic brain injury
12. Air pollution

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