Younger-Onset Alzheimer's & Dementia


Alzheimer's is not just a disease of old age. Younger-onset (also known as early-onset) Alzheimer's affects people younger than age 65. Nearly 4 percent of the more than 5 million Americans with Alzheimer's have younger-onset.



Who gets younger-onset Alzheimer's?


Many people with younger-onset are in their 40s and 50s. They have families, careers or are even caregivers themselves. In the United States, it is estimated that more than 200,000 people have younger-onset.

Diagnosing younger-onset Alzheimer's:


If you have younger-onset Alzheimer's, you are not alone. The Alzheimer's Association can provide information, support and referrals.
Learn more:
Find your local chapter


Getting an accurate diagnosis of younger-onset Alzheimer's can be a frustrating process. Symptoms may be incorrectly attributed to stress or there may be conflicting diagnoses from different health care professionals. People who have younger-onset Alzheimer's may be in any stage of dementia – early, middle or late stage. The disease affects each person differently and symptoms will vary.
•Have a comprehensive medical evaluation with a doctor who specializes in Alzheimer's disease. Getting a diagnosis involves a medical exam and possibly cognitive tests, a neurological exam and/or brain imaging.

•Write down symptoms of memory loss or other cognitive difficulties.

•Keep in mind that there is no one test that confirms Alzheimer's disease. A diagnosis is only made after a comprehensive medical evaluation.

Learn more:
Steps to Diagnosis

Causes of Early Onset Including Genetics


Doctors don't know why most cases of early onset Alzheimer's appear at such a young age. But in a few hundred families worldwide, scientists have pinpointed several rare genes that directly cause Alzheimer's. People who inherit these rare genes tend to develop symptoms in their 30s, 40s and 50s. When Alzheimer's disease is caused by deterministic genes, it is called "familial Alzheimer's disease," and many family members in multiple generations are affected.