Mayo Clinic on Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias, Revised and Updated: A guide for people with dementia and those who care for them

by Jonathan Graff-Radford, Angela Lunde

Help to prevent, slow, and understand Alzheimer’s Disease and other Dementias with this guide from the experts at Mayo Clinic. This essential resource includes key information about the latest advancements in diagnosis and treatment, as well as factors that may affect your cognitive health.

Dementia is a serious health challenge with over 55 million people diagnosed worldwide, and some estimates expect that number to more than double by 2050. While Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, other types also affect adults worldwide, causing loss of cognitive functions such as memory, reasoning and judgment. The diseases that cause dementia have long been considered difficult and unrelenting, but recent advances offer hope.
In this fully revised and updated third edition of Mayo Clinic’s on Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias leading experts at Mayo Clinic answer patients and caregivers’ most pressing questions, Are there ways you can lower your risk of Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias? Can they be prevented? Can you live well with dementia? If so, how?  How do sleeplessness, hearing loss, social isolation, and other risk factors contribute to cognitive decline? How can exercise and healthy foods preserve brain function? What are the neurological changes that can occur in the brain, and how is normal aging different from aging with dementia? How are blood and genetic biomarker tests breaking new ground in diagnosing dementia? Why is it increasingly important to identify dementia in its early stages? What are the unique signs and symptoms of Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal degeneration, vascular cognitive impairment, and other dementias? What are the stages of Alzheimer’s disease? Can new and emerging medications slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease? What day-to-day coping strategies can help people live well with dementia? How can caregivers care for themselves?

Genres: Health, Medical, New Adult, Medicine, Nonfiction, Reference

296 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 26, 2025

Reviews

[Joseph Sciuto · Rating 5 out of 5]

About a half a year ago I lost a childhood friend to Dementia. Like so many kids in the Bronx we grew up on basketball courts in a housing project called Parkchester. My friend was around 6ft. tall and built like a bull with broad shoulders that seemed like they could block out the sun. Needless to say, it was nearly impossible to box him out under the basket and grab a rebound.

He was diagnosed with dementia a few years back, and it moved rapidly through his brain and at the end, this mighty basketball warrior, looked like a skeleton.

I had read many articles on Alzheimers' and Dementia and when talking to a close friend of mine whose mother was suffering from dementia I told her about a new procedure that could stop Dementia if diagnosed early enough. The only problem was that the procedure and research I told her about dealt with Depression, not dementia. When it was pointed out to me by a doctor friend I felt terrible and since then I have not been able to get in touch with my friend whose mother is suffering from dementia.

My false claim has haunted me ever since. I was so sure I was giving my friend a slice of hope in an otherwise dark arena.

Since then, I have made it a priority to get to know as much about Alzheimers' and dementia as I possibly could and I started by reading the Mayo Clinic's book on "Alzheimers' and Dementia" written by Jonathan Graff-Radford, M.D. and Angela M. Lunde, M. A.

The book is a comprehensive look at the differences between Alzheimer's disease and the different types of dementia. It is guide on how caregivers could best approach and care for loved ones suffering from Alzheimers' and dementia. It is a carefully laid out approach...starting from before a person is diagnosed, to the different stages the patient will go through, and how caregivers could best deal with the grief, sorrow, and guilt associated with taken care of a loved one suffering from dementia or Alzheimers'.

I strongly recommend this book.

[Galatea Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good overall guide

This is a good basic introduction to Alzheimer's and all the where/ wwhat why/etc surrounding the disease.

The language is very accessible. The medical terms are defined.

It is a tad condescending in the didactic style but it is expected.

You won't come away happy after reading but it may stimulate you to learn more and have empathy for others.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well-written book, but repetitive. Someone in the beginning stages of dementia might find this repetition helpful, so I understand. It’s a good overview of many different types of dementia with photos of brain scans to show some of the science. There are valuable chapters for caregivers as well.

[Steve Hanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Accessible and up to date, though a bit uneven and repetitive toward the end. A helpful go-to guide for families and caregivers, even if some chapters might have been more effective as concise pamphlets.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book on living with Alzheimers

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a reference book on the various dementias. It primary talked to the reader as if they were the one getting (or concerned about getting) dementia. Some of the last chapters were aimed at caregivers, covering how to best interact with someone with dementia and how to take care of themselves, too. There was a lot of repeated information. For example, an early chapter gave a good amount of information about the different types of dementias, but this information was repeated and expanded upon in a chapter covering each type of dementia (Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal degeneration, vascular cognitive impairment, etc.).

The authors talked about possible causes of dementia, risk factors for it, the symptoms and progression, ways to test for it, and treatments for it. They also talked about things that could look like dementia but are caused by things like drug side effects. I appreciated that they covered nutrition and exercise recommendations and didn't focus solely on the drugs. Overall, I'd recommend this informative book.

I received a free ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Mark Zodda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good overview of the topic, but as you would expect from a health care provider, the standard advice is to consult your doctor who will guide you through everything you need to know and do. It doesn't come up with any real advice as to what you can do today other than talk to your doctor, try to enroll in a clinical trial and maybe there will be some things that you can do to slow or mitigate the effects of the diseases. I still don't know what those things are.

[Kathleen M.Barrett]

It takes a village - abundant support for any and all facing challenges in aging

This thorough treatment of how we all age and how we can be most gentle and positive with ourselves and those we accompany on this path, is written with empathy, realism, and practicality. It will be welcomed by all, whether facing a crisis or looking to be prepared to care for themselves and others in their social orbit. Well done, good and faithful scholars and experts,

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horrible book to need to read, but very informative and helpful. Alzheimer's is a terrible disease.

[Gabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely informative and I thought the second half in particular was full of very practical advice, though it did not translate well to audio and was very repetitive.