Annually, there are about 76,000 new cases of dementia diagnosed in Canada. This represents an incidence of 14.3 new cases per 1,000 in the senior population (65 years and older). The incidence is greater amongst females than men.

Some of the symptoms which could ring the alarm for dementia are anxiety, depression, short-term memory loss, or aggression. Dementia can either progress slowly or fast. Each person is different, so here is a list of some of the factors which contribute to people getting dementia:

• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Social exclusion

If someone suspected they had dementia, blood test, make sure that they aren’t anemic, check their thyroid, also iron status, and then have a CT scan as well. They would advise them to see a specialist because the CT scan has to be looked over by a neuroradiologist in order for the person to be diagnosed as having dementia. The result could be one of two, it may either be a type of Alzheimer’s, which could potentially be treated or it could be vascular dementia, for which there is no treatment, apart from making sure the blood pressure is controlled and the cholesterol is lowered. In the case of Alzheimer’s, if the patient has not received any prior treatment, they could go to a center where they could be put into a trial where they would be given new medications to help treat the disease.