Dementia is largely a disease of old age, but a new study finds that up to 5% of all cases are among people in the prime of their lives.
Looking at 95 international studies, researchers estimated that nearly 4 million people worldwide are living with young-onset dementia—cases that strike between the ages of 30 and 64.
In the United States, an estimated 175,000 people have the condition, accounting for roughly 3% of all dementia cases nationwide.
In context, that means young-onset dementia is rare, said Dr. David Knopman, a neurologist who specializes in dementia care at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
But it’s important for people, including doctors, to be aware that dementia can…
