Dementia hitting ever-younger Canadians

TORONTO, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Dementia diseases are affecting more than 71,000 Canadians under the age of 65, says a study published Monday by the Alzheimer Society.

In conjunction with RiskAnalytica, the society's study said that, overall, about 500,000 Canadians are affected by Alzheimer's or other dementia that brings gradual and continuing decline of memory, changes in judgment or reasoning, mood and behavior, and an inability to perform familiar tasks.

The study said 72 percent of dementia sufferers in the country are women.

"As it stands today, the number of Canadians living with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia will more than double within a generation," said society President Ray Congdon.

The chief executive officer of the society, Scott Dudgeon, said it isn't just the public healthcare system that will be strained.

"The reality is that the businesses and industry sectors are also being affected as our boomer generation, a generation of leaders and mentors, are affected by dementia," he said.