At least 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease - WIS

(CNN) - Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia in older adults.

It can seriously affect a person's ability to carry out daily activities and can sometimes lead to an early death. Because the symptoms parallel simple forgetfulness many people ask, "Am I getting Alzheimer's?"

About five million Americans 65 and older have Alzheimer's disease and that number could increase three times over the next few decades unless a cure or treatment is found.

Although it's not a normal part of aging, the risk of developing the illness increases with age.

Here's what the National Institute on Aging, says about signs of Alzheimer's.

If you are getting lost, having trouble handling money and paying bills, repeating yourself over and over, taking longer to complete normal daily tasks, exercising poor judgment, losing things or misplacing them in odd places or having a shift in mood and personality, you may want to get checked.

Alzheimer's experts say it's also up to loved ones to keep an eye out for these symptoms, especially when they have an older parent, spouse or friend.

There are a number of drugs in the pipeline that could reverse or delay the onset of the Alzheimer's. But as of now, there is no cure or effective treatment for this debilitating illness.

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