When it comes to aging and dementia – the bad news is the number of people who suffer from it is skyrocketing and there is no known cure. The good news is it is not a normal part of aging.

Fifty-five million people are living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia worldwide, according to the national Alzheimer’s Association. An estimated 6.7 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s in 2023, and barring medical breakthroughs or a cure, that number is projected to rise to nearly 13 million by 2050. Today, one in three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another dementia. It kills more people than breast and prostate cancer combined.

Woo Bandel is a community engagement manager with the Alzheimer’s Association of Colorado. She gave a presentation last month at the Durango Senior Center entitled Understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

“The main focus was really around what is the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia,” Bandel said. “The other piece was about risk factors. So we talked a lot about that. We know age is the greatest known risk factor.”

There is a lot of confusion in the general public about the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia, Bandel said.

Dementia is an umbrella term for loss of memory and other thinking abilities severe enough to interfere with daily life, according the national Alzheimer’s Association. Types of dementia include Alzheimer’s, vascular, Lewy body, frontotemporal, mixed dementia and others, which includes Huntington. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60% to 80% of all cases of dementia.

The increase in dementia is linked to an increase in aging populations, said Bandel, who added that dementia is not a normal part of aging.

“The good news here is that not everyone is going to develop dementia just because they are aging,” she said. “There are other risk factors besides age and there are a lot of studies being done right now on that subject. We also know there are genes involved.”

Outside of the genetic factor, risk factors include all those things doctors tell us about, she said.

“We want to eat healthy, exercise, stay cognitively social and engaged,” Bandel said. “But we are not at a spot where we can really say ‘if you do this it will help prevent dementia.’ We have studies going on where we are looking at healthy lifestyle factors.”

In the meantime, Bandel encourages people who are concerned they may have early signs of Alzheimer’s, to read through the following: 10 Early Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

Forgetting recently learned information, important dates or events. Asking the same questions over and over, and increasingly needing to rely on memory aids or family members for things they used to handle on their own. What's a typical age-related change? Sometimes forgetting names or appointments, but remembering them later.

Some people living with dementia may experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers; have trouble following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills; difficulty concentrating and taking much longer to do things than they did before. What's a typical age-related change? Making occasional errors when managing finances or household bills.

May have trouble driving to a familiar location, organizing a grocery list or remembering the rules of a favorite game. What's a typical age-related change? Occasionally needing help to use microwave settings or to record a TV show.

Losing track of dates, seasons and the passage of time. May have trouble understanding something if it is not happening immediately. May forget where they are or how they got there. What's a typical age-related change? Getting confused about the day of the week but figuring it out later.

Vision problems may be a sign of Alzheimer's. This may lead to difficulty with balance or trouble reading. They may also have problems judging distance and determining color or contrast, causing issues with driving. What's a typical age-related change? Vision changes related to cataracts.

May have trouble following or joining a conversation. May stop in the middle of a conversation and have no idea how to continue or may repeat themselves. Struggling with vocabulary, naming a familiar object or use the wrong name. What's a typical age-related change? Sometimes having trouble finding the right word.

May put things in unusual places, lose things and be unable to go back over their steps to find them again. May accuse others of stealing, especially as the disease progresses. What's a typical age-related change? Misplacing things from time to time and retracing steps to find them.

Changes in judgment or decision-making, e.g. poor judgment when dealing with money or paying less attention to grooming or keeping themselves clean. What's a typical age-related change? Making a bad decision or mistake once in a while, like neglecting to change the oil in the car.

Changes in the ability to hold or follow a conversation, which may lead to a withdraw from hobbies, social activities or other engagements. They may have trouble keeping up with a favorite team or activity. What's a typical age-related change? Sometimes feeling uninterested in family or social obligations.

Can become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious. They may be easily upset at home, with friends or when out of their comfort zone. What's a typical age-related change? Developing very specific ways of doing things and becoming irritable when a routine is disrupted.

For more questions or help call 24 hours, seven days a week Alzheimer’s Association helpline at (800) 272-3900

gjaros@durangoherald.com