Causes and risk factors

Alzheimer's disease develops from multiple factors, such as genetics, lifestyle and environment. While some risk factors — age, family history and heredity — can't be changed; there may be other factors we can influence.

Age: the greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s is increasing age, but Alzheimer's is not a normal part of aging. While age increases risk, it is not a direct cause of Alzheimer's.

Family history: those who have a parent, brother or sister with Alzheimer’s are more likely to develop the disease. The risk increases if more than one family member has the illness. When diseases run in families, either heredity (genetics), environmental factors, or both, may play a role.

Genetics: two categories of genes influence whether a person develops a disease: risk genes and deterministic genes. Alzheimer's genes have been found in both categories.

Research has revealed clues about risk factors we may be able to influence through general lifestyle and wellness choices and effective management of other health conditions. Other risk factors you may be able to influence:

Head injury: There is a link between head injuries and the future risk of dementia.

Heart-head connection: There is strong evidence linking brain health to heart health. The brain is nourished by one of the body’s richest networks of blood vessels, and the heart is responsible for pumping blood through these blood vessels to the brain.

The risk of developing Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia is increased by many conditions that damage the heart and blood vessels.

These include:

heart disease
diabetes
stroke
high blood pressure
high cholesterol

Work with your doctor to monitor your heart health and treat any problems that arise.

Did you know?

After age 65, the risk of Alzheimer's doubles every five years. After age 85, the risk reaches nearly one-third.

Overall healthy aging can help keep the brain healthy and may even reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

These measures include:

eating a healthy diet
staying socially active
avoiding tobacco and excess alcohol
exercising both the body and mind

Latinos and African-Americans at risk

Research shows that older Latinos are one-and-a-half times as likely as older whites to have Alzheimer’s and other dementias, while older African-Americans are twice as likely to have the disease as older whites.

Did you know?

Alzheimer’s is the fifth-leading cause of death among those age 65 and older and is also a leading cause of disability and poor health.