Dementia, Age, and Rage Against the Dying of the Light

Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

—Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas 1951

Are you over 30? If so, there have been changes taking place in your body that will affect how you age.

Age is in the news and people have conflated age and illness. First, there is a difference between being old and having dementia. Dementia is more likely when people are older with Alzheimer’s being the most common cause (there are three other types including vascular dementia from blood clots).

However, after people turn 60, only 5% to 8% have dementia. Importantly, the National Institute on Aging says, “Forgetfulness can be a normal part of aging. However, dementia is not a normal part of aging.”

Read the full piece on my Substack here.