Alzheimer's disease is a vastly underrecognized disease that primarily appears in patients age 65 and older. It affects the entire family of those afflicted and has a tremendous impact on our health care system—the Alzheimer's Association estimates the cost of treating this form of dementia at $172 billion annually in the United States. Current treatment with medications has only limited success. Therefore, awareness of symptoms—which are often mistaken for aging or stress—and early recognition of the disease are the best ways to help patients and their caregivers. is written to provide a broad overview of the disease, conveying all information and concepts in easy-to-read and understandable language. This text is intended for high school and college students, but is appropriate for general reading audiences as well.