Reducing your risk of Dementia
What is dementia? Dementia is a set of symptoms caused by damage to the brain from certain diseases or conditions. Once a person develops dementia, it gets progressively worse. Symptoms can include problems with memory loss, thinking, mental agility, language and understanding. There are many different types of dementia although some are more common than others. The most common types of dementia are: • Dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease: the most common type of dementia, accounting for around two thirds of cases. In Alzheimer’s disease, two specific proteins build up in brain cells and these cells become damaged, causing dementia. • Vascular dementia: the second most common type of dementia. It occurs when the blood supply to the brain is impaired, causing damage to brain cells. • Dementia with Lewy bodies: accounts for around 10% of cases of dementia. Lewy bodies are tiny deposits of protein that can build up in the cells of the brain and are associated with damage and loss of function. • Frontotemporal dementia: a less common type of dementia. It is caused by damage in the frontal and/or temporal lobes of the brain associated with a build-up of certain proteins. • Mixed dementia: when someone has more than one type of dementia. It is common to have both Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia together.
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