JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – World Alzheimer’s Day on September 21, 2025, serves as a reminder to residents of the disease’s profound impact in Mississippi.
Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for an estimated 60% to 80% of cases. Most individuals also have the brain changes of one or more other causes of dementia. Biological markers often present themselves decades before symptoms become apparent. In 2023, the year with the latest data, Mississippians died from Alzheimer’s at the highest rate nationally.
The strongest known risk factor for any form of dementia is increasing age, with most cases affecting those aged 65 years and older. However, race and ethnicity, poor heart health and traumatic brain injuries can also increase the risk of Alzheimer’s or any form of dementia. According to the state chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 62,500 people live with the disease statewide. Around 93,000 caregivers dedicate 175 million hours of unpaid care.
Ethel’s Place Memory Café opens in Jackson
One of the state’s most established tools in providing dementia research is the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s (UMMC) Memory Impairment and Neurodegenerative Dementia (MIND) Center. It offers diagnosis and outpatient treatment for patients with memory loss and cognitive impairment…