Thinking About Your Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease? Five Questions To Consider

Ask yourself the five questions below to help understand your risk factors for developing Alzheimer’s disease.

How old are you?

Age is the biggest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s. Most people with Alzheimer’s develop the disease when they are 65 or older, with less than 10% of cases occurring before then. As a person ages past 65, their risk of Alzheimer’s increases. About one in 13 people age 65 to 84 and one in three people 85 and older are living with Alzheimer’s.

Does Alzheimer's run in your family?

Family history is also an important risk factor. People with a parent or sibling diagnosed with Alzheimer’s have a higher risk of developing the disease than those who don’t have family members with the disease. Families can have many things in common, including their genes, environment, and lifestyle, that all may play a role. For example, lifestyle habits such as diet and exercise, which can be influenced by family, can affect overall health and increase risk for Alzheimer’s. Importantly, not everyone with a history of Alzheimer’s in their family will develop the disease and vice versa — not everyone who develops Alzheimer’s has a family history of the disease.

What's your lifestyle?

There are some risk factors, like age, that you cannot change. However, there may be ways to promote better brain health and reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s by addressing certain lifestyle factors, including:

• Unmanaged chronic health issues, such as high blood pressure or hearing loss
• Physical inactivity
• Unhealthy diet
• Alcohol misuse
• Smoking
• Not getting enough sleep or not sleeping well
• Social isolation
• Lack of mental stimulation

Researchers cannot yet say for certain whether making positive changes in these areas can prevent dementia, but doing so is beneficial to living a healthier lifestyle overall.

What medical conditions do you have?

Having certain medical conditions may increase your risk of developing Alzheimer’s. For example, cardiovascular disease, which includes conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and coronary artery disease, affects the heart and blood vessels and has been linked to Alzheimer’s.

Several risk factors associated with developing cardiovascular disease are also associated with Alzheimer’s. For example, studies have shown that managing high blood pressure reduces the risk of mild cognitive impairment and the risk of dementia. Specifically, one large clinical trial showed that lowering systolic blood pressure to below 120 mmHg reduced the risk of mild cognitive impairment, and a review of observational studies showed that managing high blood pressure with medication reduced the risk of dementia compared to people with high blood pressure who didn’t take medication. 

Getting recommended health screenings and regularly checking in with a health care provider can help you learn about and manage medical conditions. Treat high blood pressure with healthy lifestyle changes and medications if prescribed by your doctor. Protect your ears from loud sounds and use hearing restorative devices, such as hearing aids, if needed. Make healthy food choices and get regular exercise to maintain a healthy weight. Source