What if there was a way to recognize the onset of dementia?
An estimated 6.9 million Americans 65 years and older have Alzheimer’s dementia, with an estimated 200,000 under the age of 65 having younger-onset Alzheimer’s. Between 2000 and 2021, the number of deaths from Alzheimer’s disease more than doubled, increasing 141%. The disease was also the fifth leading cause of death among those 65 and older in 2021. By 2060, researchers expect the number of people living with Alzheimer’s to nearly triple to 14 million people.
The FDA recently approved a new medication that targets proteins that interfere with nerve impulse transmissions. Researchers also recently announced that they had found a synthetic peptide that could assist with reversing memory and learning deficits.
A new report, however, points to a warning sign that could be seen up to five years prior to a person being diagnosed with dementia. Here’s the start of a story from Fox News on this important discovery:
Dementia takes a costly toll on the families it affects — emotionally, physically, and even financially.
In many cases, an impact on finances is one of the earliest signs of the disease, according to a new report from the New York Federal Reserve.
In analyzing 17 years of data from consumer credit agencies and Medicare databases, researchers found that a decline in credit scores and an increase in late payments are often seen in the five years prior to diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD).
Those in the early stages of dementia may also accumulate greater debt, open new credit accounts and use multiple types of credit.
“Considering the typical progression of the disease, these findings point to financial consequences of the disease in its earliest stages, when symptoms are typically mild and not widely apparent,” the researchers wrote.
“The financial consequences of ADRD prior to diagnosis steadily increase over time.”
This is particularly concerning given that older adults with dementia will likely face substantial costs for caregiving and other related expenses, the report noted.