Early-Onset Dementia and Alzheimer's Rates Grow for Younger American Adults

Each year, early-onset dementia and Alzheimer’s disease affect the daily lives of a growing number of Americans under 65. As measured by the Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) Health Index in 2017, about 131,000 commercially insured Americans¹ between the ages of 30 and 64 were diagnosed with either condition.

Dementia is a general term for cognitive decline in excess of typical aging. An adult with early-onset dementia may have trouble with memory, language and cognitive skills that can make it difficult to perform routine tasks. Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia characterized by progressive brain deterioration, memory loss and an inability to independently care for oneself.²

As early-onset dementia and early-onset Alzheimer’s disease continue to affect younger Americans, it is important to understand the impact of both forms of dementia on the health of Americans and their caregivers.³

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1. Total counts of people diagnosed with either early-onset dementia or Alzheimer’s disease were extrapolated from the study population to the commercially insured population (American receiving health insurance through their employer or in the individual market, adults 30 to 64 years old) in 2017, or 126 million people.
2. Throughout this report, early-onset dementia and early-onset Alzheimer’s disease are defined as any person diagnosed with either condition between the ages of 30 and 64. Read for more information.
3. Based on 2017 data from the BCBS Health Index unless otherwise specified.