Posted on 04/04/2025 7:13:06 PM PDT by Red Badger
The leading dementia charity in the United Kingdom says certain food cravings could be a sign of a type of early-onset dementia.
Once known as “Pick’s disease,” this type of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) can be preceded by cravings for “sweet, fatty foods or carbohydrates,” according to Alzheimer’s UK.
The condition, typically diagnosed in people under the age of 65, tends to produce symptoms that get progressively worse over time. Individuals with the condition have trouble making decisions and often exhibit repetitive behaviors, like repeatedly uttering a particular phrase.
Earlier this year, The Dallas Express reported that the risk of developing dementia in late adulthood is far higher than previously believed. A recent study concluded that Americans possess a 42% risk of developing the condition after age 55, more than double the rate determined in previous studies.
Most individuals with FTD are not aware of their symptoms. Instead, a close family member or friend will usually be the first to notice something is wrong.
The condition leads nerve cells within the brain’s frontal lobes to gradually become more damaged. This can drive the sufferer to develop antisocial behavior, leading to potentially insensitive remarks about another person’s appearance, for example.
FTD can also lead people to lose empathy, unable to understand what others are thinking or feeling. Language issues, too, can plague people with the condition, harming their vocabulary. It can even make individuals forget the use of common objects, like the purpose of a microwave, for instance.
With Alzheimer’s, says the organization, early symptoms are typically the deterioration of short-term memory. With FTD, however, many sufferers do not experience immediate memory problems.
“The first noticeable symptoms for a person with FTD will be changes to their personality and behavior or difficulties with language. Sometimes, it can involve both. This is very different from the early symptoms of more common types of dementia,” said the U.K.’s Alzheimer’s Society.
BTT. Not that I want to read this at age 62 eating fat and carbs like made while having issues recalling where I put my glasses, my wallet, who that last grand kid is…
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