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Basic InformationMore InformationLatest NewsLong-Term Outlook for Most With Serious Brain Injury Is Better Than ThoughtDrug Shows Promise in Easing Dementia-Linked PsychosisAHA News: Diabetes and Dementia Risk: Another Good Reason to Keep Blood Sugar in Check1 in 20 Cases of Dementia Occurs in People Under 65Could Menopausal Hormone Therapy Reduce Women's Odds for Dementia?Reading, Puzzles May Delay Alzheimer's by 5 Years: StudyTwo Major Health Systems Won't Administer Controversial New Alzheimer's DrugMost Marriages Survive a Spouse's Brain InjuryMedicare Mulls Coverage for Controversial Alzheimer's DrugFDA Head Asks for Investigation Into Alzheimer's Drug ApprovalNew Prescribing Instructions Tighten Use of Controversial Alzheimer's DrugMissing Teeth, Higher Odds for Dementia?AHA News: Smoking Harms the Brain, Raises Dementia Risk – But Not If You QuitHealthy Living Can Lower Your Odds for Alzheimer'sKeeping Same Nurse for All Home Health Care May Be Crucial for Dementia PatientsMost Cases of Dementia in U.S. Seniors Go Undiagnosed: StudyLilly to Seek FDA Approval for New Alzheimer's DrugCould a Type of Statin Raise Dementia Risks?Good News, Bad News From Alzheimer's Vaccine TrialPoor Sleep After Head Injury Could Point to Dementia RiskFDA Approves Alzheimer's Drug Despite Expert Panel's ObjectionsFDA Defends Approval of Controversial Alzheimer's DrugPeople of Color Have Twice the Risk of Dying After Brain Injury, Study FindsIn People With Type 1 Diabetes, Poor Blood Sugar Control Could Raise Dementia RiskThere's Been a Shift in Who's Funding Alzheimer's ResearchHealthy Living Helps Prevent Dementia, Even If It Runs in the FamilyAHA News: Is It Normal Aging or Early Signs of Dementia?Dementia Risk Rises as Years Lived With Type 2 Diabetes IncreasesHead Injury, Alzheimer's Appear to Affect Brain in Similar WaysBrain Injuries Raise Long-Term Risk of StrokeResearch Shows Links Between Gum Disease and Alzheimer'sAssisted Living Centers Can Do More for Dementia Patients, Experts Say6 Steps to Reduce Caregiver StressLoneliness in Mid-Life Linked to Higher Odds for Alzheimer'sDrug Used in Cancer Patients Might Help Treat Alzheimer's'Non-Drug' Approaches Can Fight Depression in People With DementiaSuicide Attempts Spike Soon After Dementia DiagnosisCould a New Drug Help Ease Alzheimer's?AHA News: Dementia May Be a Risk Factor for Infection But Not Death From COVID-19Your Eyes May Signal Your Risk for Stroke, DementiaEven 1 Concussion May Raise Your Odds for Dementia LaterAlzheimer's Patients Are Being Given Too Many MedsMany Blacks, Hispanics Believe They'll Get Worse Care If Dementia StrikesAlzheimer's May Strike Women and Men in Different WaysHistory of Mental Illness Tied to Earlier Onset of Alzheimer's DiseaseAHA News: Black, Hispanic Families Hit Hardest by DementiaWhy Some 'Super Ager' Folks Keep Their Minds Dementia-FreeDementia Seen in Younger Adults Shows Even More Brain Damage Than Alzheimer'sToo Little Sleep Could Raise Your Dementia RiskSpecialist Care for Alzheimer's Is Tough to Find for Poorer, Rural Americans Questions and AnswersVideosLinksBook Reviews |
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Risk Factors for Alzheimer's DiseaseRudolph C. Hatfield, PhD., edited by Kathryn Patricelli, MAResearchers continue to investigate risk factors that may increase the chance that a person will develop Alzheimer's disease. A risk factor is some condition that can raise the probability that a person will develop a disease or disorder. However, just having the risk factor alone will not guarantee that the person will develop a specific disease or disorder. People who have more than one risk factor have an even higher chance that they will develop the disease or the disorder in question. Many risk factors associated with developing Alzheimer's disease have been identified. The major risk factors that appear to increase the chances that one may develop Alzheimer's disease include:
 Age: The research has indicated that as people get older the chance that they will develop Alzheimer's disease begins to increase dramatically. Starting at age 65 people begin to develop an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease. For every five years after the age of 65 (e.g., 70, 75, 80, etc.) the risk nearly doubles. However, simply getting older does not mean that a person is destined to develop Alzheimer's disease.
Family History: People who have a relative that has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease also have an increased risk to develop the disorder themselves. The risk for Alzheimer's disease increases for people who have first-degree relatives (parents, brothers, and/or sisters) who are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The chance is lower for people who have more distant relatives ( uncles, aunts, cousins, etc.) who have been diagnosed with the disorder. If a person has more than one relative diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, then their risk to develop the disorder is increased even further. This risk factor is often considered to be a sign of some type of genetic cause or contribution, but it can also be the result of environmental factors.
Gender: Women appear to develop Alzheimer's disease at higher rates than men do. This risk factor is complicated by the fact that women still tend to live longer than men. So, age may also contribute to the findings of higher rates of Alzheimer's disease in women.
A History of Head Injury: Research has found a connection between people who have experienced major head injuries and then later develop Alzheimer's disease. It is not fully understood how these factors are related. It is believed that the type of brain damage that occurs in people who experience a major head injury somehow promotes the slow and progressive deterioration in the brain that happens in Alzheimer's disease.
Down Syndrome: People with Down syndrome, a genetic factor that is a major cause of intellectual disabilities, very often develop Alzheimer's disease at an early age (often in their late 30s or early 40s). Researchers are not sure why this happens, but suspect that it is due to genetic factors.
Cardiovascular Factors or Heart Health: Researchers have also found that there is a connection between heart health factors and developing Alzheimer's Disease and other forms of dementia. These factors include high levels of cholesterol, high blood pressure, or even diabetes. The heart is responsible for pumping blood and delivering nutrients and oxygen to organs in the body. Researchers believe that conditions that decrease the ability of the heart to perform its functions are related to the development of brain disorders such as dementia.
Much of the research that investigates the risk factors to developing Alzheimer's disease looks at genetic contributions to the disorder. Researchers divide the genes that can increase the risk to develop Alzheimer's disease into 2 types.
Risk Genes (Susceptibility Genes): People who have these genes have an increased chance that they may develop Alzheimer's disease. However, simply having the gene does not guarantee that the person will develop Alzheimer's disease. The best known of these genes is the APOE-e4 gene that is located on chromosome 19.
Deterministic Genes: The presence of deterministic genes is very rare. People who inherit deterministic genes will develop Alzheimer's disease, often at an early age. These genes are associated with the Familial Type of Alzheimer's disease that runs in families, develops early, and progresses very rapidly. Unless a person has a very strong family history of Alzheimer's disease the likelihood of having one of these genes is extremely small (only about 1% of all people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease inherit these genes). The deterministic genes currently identified are Amyloid precursor protein (APP, which is located on chromosome 21), Presenilin-1 (PS-1, which is located on chromosome 14), and Presenilin-2 (PS-2, which is located on chromosome 1).
Except for the presence of deterministic genes, researchers believe that genes and lifestyle factors interact to increase a person's risk to develop any type of disease or disorder, including Alzheimer's disease. People cannot control their heredity or the fact that they will age over time, but they can control how they live. One way to reduce the chance that one will develop Alzheimer's disease is to eat healthy and get plenty of exercise. Researchers have found that people who stay physically and mentally active and eat a healthy diet have a decreased risk to develop Alzheimer's disease.
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