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Could you be at risk for Alzheimer's disease? This question weighs heavily for anyone with a family history of the disease--or anyone who finds their memory slipping as they get older. Several factors, explained below, can help you determine whether you may be at a particular risk for developing Alzheimer's disease.
Risk Factors for Alzheimer's Disease
The primary risk factor for Alzheimer's disease is increasing age. Less than five percent of people between the ages of 65 and 74 have Alzheimer's. After age 85, the figure increases to 50 percent.[8] Family history of Alzheimer's disease is also a confirmed risk factor. Increasingly, research points to heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and Type 2 diabetes as indicators of an increased risk of Alzheimers.[8] It has even been suggested that Alzheimer's is a third type of diabetes.[9]
Some studies have further suggested that lower education levels, being female and suffering prior traumatic head trauma are also risk factors for Alzheimer's. High stress levels have also been shown to impair memory and increase incidence of Alzheimer's in people with a gene linked to the disease.[10] Most recently, research showed that suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) nearly doubled the rate of Alzheimer's disease in veterans.[11]
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