About ADRD

Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD)

Dementia refers to a large class of disorders characterized by the progressive deterioration of thinking ability and memory as the brain becomes damaged.  Symptoms of dementia include loss of memory, judgment and reasoning, as well as changes in mood, personality and behaviour.

Alzheimer’s disease is the leading form of dementia.  Other forms of dementia, often referred to as related dementias, include Vascular Dementia, Lewy body Dementia, Frontotemporal Dementia, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and mixed dementias.

Dementia in Canada

• As of 2010, over 500,000 Canadians live with dementia.
• An estimated 70,000 cases of dementia are under 65 years of age.
• Women currently account for over 60% of all dementia cases.
• Incidence of dementia is at more than 100,000 new cases a year, or one new case every 5 minutes
• By 2010, with baby boomers reaching the age of 65, cases of dementia could increase by 50%.

 

Reference:  Alzheimer Society of Canada, 2010