Steve Thompson: England rugby ace has dementia at 42 - What is early onset dementia?

Steve Thompson, 42, has revealed that he was diagnosed with early onset dementia. The England rugby legend was one of the key members of the 2003 World Cup winning side. What is early onset dementia?

Dementia is used to describe a variety of symptoms that can affect your everyday life.

Most people diagnosed with dementia are over the age of 65, but it can also rarely be diagnosed at a younger age.

Anything diagnosis under the age of 65 is known as ‘early onset dementia’, and it usually affect people in their 40s, 50s or 60s.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of early onset dementia, according to Alzheimer’s Research UK.