What’s the Difference Between Alzheimer’s and Dementia? (UK Guide)

Quick answer: dementia is an umbrella term for symptoms that affect memory, thinking and daily function; Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of those symptoms. If you’re exploring care options in Scotland or the central belt, speak to Careline Home Support for friendly, local guidance.

What is the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia?

Dementia describes a set of symptoms—such as memory loss, confusion, language problems, and changes in behaviour—that are severe enough to interfere with everyday life. It is not one single disease. By contrast, Alzheimer’s disease is a specific brain disease that gradually damages nerve cells and their connections. Over time, Alzheimer’s commonly causes dementia symptoms. In short: dementia is the syndrome, and Alzheimer’s is one cause of that syndrome.

Key takeaways

• Dementia = a general term for cognitive decline that impacts daily life.
  
• Alzheimer’s disease = the most common cause of dementia.
  
• Other causes include vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
  
• People may have mixed dementia, where Alzheimer’s and vascular changes (or another combination) appear together.

How Alzheimer’s and dementia differ in plain English

• Scope: Dementia is the broad label; Alzheimer’s is one type within that label.
  
• Biology: Alzheimer’s is linked with abnormal amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain. Dementia as a term does not specify biology—it only describes the impact on thinking, memory and function.
  
• Progression: Alzheimer’s usually starts gradually and progresses steadily. Some other dementias can progress in step-like patterns or fluctuating ways.
  
• Diagnosis wording: A person isn’t diagnosed with “dementia versus Alzheimer’s”. They’re diagnosed with a type of dementia, such as “Alzheimer’s disease dementia”, “vascular dementia”, or “mixed dementia”.
  

Signs and symptoms: where they overlap and where they differ

Shared dementia symptoms:

• Forgetfulness that disrupts daily life (e.g. missing appointments, misplacing items)
  
• Trouble planning, problem-solving or concentrating
  
• Word-finding or comprehension difficulties
  
• Getting lost in familiar places; confusion about time/place
  
• Mood or behaviour changes (anxiety, apathy, irritability)
  

Common in Alzheimer’s:

• Early short-term memory problems, repeating questions
  
• Word-finding issues and trouble following conversations
  
• Gradual, steady decline over years
  

May be more prominent in other dementias:

• Vascular dementia: slowed thinking, problems with planning/organisation; symptoms may appear suddenly after a stroke or show a stepwise decline
  
• Lewy body dementia: marked fluctuations in alertness, vivid visual hallucinations, Parkinsonian movement changes, REM sleep behaviour disorder
  
• Frontotemporal dementia (FTD): early personality, behaviour or language changes while memory may be relatively spared initially
  

The difference between vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s

Because searches often ask for the difference between vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s, here’s a clear comparison:

• Underlying cause
  
  • Alzheimer’s: build-up of abnormal proteins (amyloid and tau) that disrupts nerve cells.
    
  • Vascular dementia: reduced blood flow or blood vessel damage in the brain—often after a stroke, series of mini-strokes, or small vessel disease.
    
• Onset and pattern
  
  • Alzheimer’s: typically gradual, with early memory loss.
    
  • Vascular dementia: can be sudden (post-stroke) or stepwise, with noticeable drops after vascular events; early memory loss may be less obvious than difficulties with speed of thinking, attention, and planning.
    
• Imaging clues
  
  • Alzheimer’s: may show general shrinkage in specific brain regions (e.g. hippocampus) as disease progresses.
    
  • Vascular dementia: brain scans may show areas of infarction, white matter changes, or other signs of vascular injury.
    
• Treatment focus
  
  • Alzheimer’s: symptom-managing medicines (e.g. cholinesterase inhibitors, memantine) and cognitive support.
    
  • Vascular dementia: address vascular risk factors—manage blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes; encourage exercise and a heart-healthy diet, alongside cognitive support.
    
• Mixed dementia
  
  • Many people—especially older adults—have both Alzheimer’s and vascular changes. This is called mixed dementia.
    

Is dementia the same as Alzheimer’s?

No. Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia, not the other way around. Asking “is dementia a type of Alzheimer’s?” flips the relationship. A helpful analogy: cancer is the umbrella term; breast cancer or lung cancer are specific diseases. Here, dementia is the umbrella, and Alzheimer’s disease is a specific cause under it.

Which is worse: dementia or Alzheimer’s?

This is a common question, but it isn’t a like-for-like comparison. “Dementia” includes many conditions with different causes and courses. Alzheimer’s is one of those conditions. Severity varies greatly between people and over time. What matters most is early assessment, a clear diagnosis, and tailored support.

Causes and risk factors at a glance

• Alzheimer’s disease: associated with amyloid and tau protein changes, age, family history, genes (e.g. APOE ε4 increases risk), and lifestyle factors.
  
• Vascular dementia: linked to stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, and heart or blood vessel disease.
  
• Lewy body dementia: linked to abnormal alpha-synuclein protein deposits.
  
• FTD: sometimes strongly genetic; often begins earlier than other dementias.
  

Reducing vascular risk factors supports brain health at any age.

Diagnosis: how clinicians tell them apart

• History & cognitive testing: memory, language, attention, visuospatial skills, and executive function are assessed.
  
• Brain imaging: CT or MRI helps spot strokes, small vessel disease, or patterns of atrophy.
  
• Blood tests: check for reversible contributors (e.g. thyroid issues, B12 deficiency, infection).
  
• Specialist tests (in some settings): spinal fluid (CSF) or blood biomarkers for Alzheimer’s-related proteins; PET scans in select cases.
  

A diagnosis might read “Alzheimer’s disease dementia”, “vascular dementia”, “mixed dementia”, or “Lewy body dementia”, depending on the evidence.

Treatment and support

There is currently no cure for most dementias, but support can significantly improve quality of life.

Common elements of care

• Personalised care plan and carer support
  
• Occupational therapy for daily living strategies
  
• Cognitive stimulation and meaningful activities
  
• Environmental tweaks for safety and orientation (labels, lighting, routines)
  
• Managing sleep, mood, anxiety, and sensory issues
  

Medicines

• Alzheimer’s disease: cholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine) and/or memantine may help with symptoms in some people.
  
• Vascular dementia: no specific cognitive drug is universally effective, but aggressive management of vascular risks is key. Antiplatelets or anticoagulants may be used where clinically indicated for stroke prevention—always on specialist advice.
  

Lifestyle & risk reduction

• Manage blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes as advised by your GP.
  
• Be physically active; aim for regular moderate activity each week.
  
• Eat a heart-healthy, Mediterranean-style diet.
  
• Stay socially and mentally engaged (learning new skills, puzzles, clubs).
  
• Don’t smoke; drink within low-risk alcohol guidelines.
  

FAQs (using the questions people ask)

What’s the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s (UK)?

In the UK, clinicians use dementia to describe the impact on cognition and daily life, and then identify the underlying cause (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia). So the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia is that one is the cause (Alzheimer’s) and the other is the syndrome (dementia).

Can you have Alzheimer’s and dementia?

Yes. If you have Alzheimer’s, you have a type of dementia. Some people also have mixed dementia, where Alzheimer’s pathology co-exists with vascular or other changes.

What’s the difference between Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia?

Alzheimer’s is a degenerative brain disease tied to amyloid and tau. Vascular dementia comes from blood flow problems (stroke/mini-strokes or small vessel disease). The difference between vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s shows up in risk factors, scan findings and often in symptom patterns.

Is dementia a normal part of ageing?

No. While risk increases with age, dementia is not an inevitable, normal part of getting older.

Which comes first: Alzheimer’s or dementia?

The disease process (e.g. Alzheimer’s) comes first. Dementia describes the point at which symptoms significantly affect daily life.

Is Alzheimer’s the most common form of dementia?

Yes—Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. Vascular dementia is typically the second most common.

Is dementia a disease or a syndrome?

Syndrome. It’s a collection of symptoms with multiple possible diseases behind it.

What part of the brain does Alzheimer’s affect first?

Often areas critical for memory (e.g. the hippocampus) are affected early, which is why short-term memory problems are common in the first stages.