6 dementia symptoms that can show up years before diagnosis: Early warning signs you shouldn't ignore - The Times of India

What the report says

The Times of India’s Lifestyle Desk reported that dementia may be preceded by non-memory symptoms years before a formal diagnosis, citing experts who say brain changes can begin long before familiar signs such as confusion or forgetting faces. The article, updated July 22, 2026, stressed that dementia is an umbrella term covering conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia and frontotemporal dementia, and that a single symptom does not mean someone will develop dementia.

According to the report, possible early warning signs can include late-life depression, anxiety or irritability; sleep problems such as insomnia, daytime sleepiness or acting out dreams; and loss of smell. The article cited a 2023 Danish study linking depression with a higher later risk of dementia, a 2025 review associating sleep disorders with dementia risk, and research suggesting smell impairment is common in early Alzheimer’s.

The Times of India also listed physical and behavioral changes that may deserve medical attention when persistent or combined with other concerns. These include chronic constipation, dizziness on standing, unusual blood-pressure shifts, slower walking, balance problems, stiffness, clumsiness, weaker grip strength, withdrawal, impulsivity, apathy or inappropriate behavior. The report noted that such signs can have many other causes, including medication effects, sleep disorders, joint or inner-ear problems, sinus issues, depression or hormone changes.

The article’s main caution was that early recognition can help people seek clinical evaluation, rule out treatable conditions and consider healthier routines around exercise, sleep and diet. It also noted that emerging blood tests may eventually help detect Alzheimer’s-related changes earlier, but did not present them as a current substitute for medical assessment.