Risk Factors of Alzheimer's Disease

Risk factors are the characters that appear to have relationship to the development of the disease. They can include family background, work history, or exposure to a substance or a product. There are several recognized risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, which are still in research.

Well-known risk factors for Alzheimer's disease.

• Age - Age is the most risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.. This Alzheimer's disease occurs at the age of 60 years or more than 60 years. Alzheimer's disease is progressive disorder of brain.
• Genetics - Genetics is also one of the most important risk factor. Alzheimer's disease occur more in women than in men because they live longer.
• Heredity. Your risk of developing Alzheimer's appears to be slightly higher if a first-degree relative — parent, sister or brother — has the disease. Although the genetic mechanisms of Alzheimer's among families remain largely unexplained, researchers have identified a few genetic mutations that greatly increase risk in some families.
• Head injury - Head injury will also cause Alzheimer's disease. Protect your head by buckling your seat belt, wearing your helmet when participating in sports, and “fall-proofing” your home.
• Smoking - There is conflicting research but there are indications that nicotine is a protector against Alzheimer's disease! However, smoking is also known to cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases that are Alzheimer's risk factors.
• Environmental toxins - Exposure to some substances such as aluminum may also cause Alzheimer's disease.
• Down syndrome - People with Down's syndrome (Trisomy 21) develop the pathological changes but not always the clinical symptoms of Alzheimer's.
• Other factors. New research suggests that high blood pressure and high cholesterol is also a factor for Alzheimer's disease-- may also increase the risk for developing Alzheimer's.

It is important to note that risk factors are not compulsory causes for the disease. There are two types of risk factors. One is approaching people who are having disease and comparing them with people who are not having the disease. Second approach is to monitor group of healthy people over a long period of time. First process is called as case-control study and second process is called as cohort study. Other factors that are being investigated by researchers in relation to Alzheimer's disease are toxins in environment, antioxidants, and lifestyle choices. Today scientists believe that Alzheimer's disease is caused by several factors, including those that are inherited and those that are not.