ALZHEIMER΄S DISEASE : THE RISK FACTOR

The main risk factor for Alzheimer's disease include :

• Increased age

As a population ages, the frequency of Alzheimer's disease continues to increase. Ten percent of people over 65 years of age and 50% of those over 85 years of age have Alzheimer's disease. Unless new treatments are developed to decrease the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease.

• Genetic

Most patients develop Alzheimer's disease after age 70. However, 2%–5% of patients develop the disease in the fourth or fifth decade of life (40s or 50s).

At least half of these early onset patients have inherited gene mutations associated with their Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, the children of a patient with early onset Alzheimer's disease who has one of these gene mutations has a 50% risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. There is also a genetic risk for late onset cases.

A relatively common form of a gene located on chromosome 19 is associated with late onset Alzheimer's disease. In the majority of Alzheimer's disease cases, however, no specific genetic risks have yet been identified.

• High blood pressure ( hypertension )
• Coronary artery disease
• Diabetes
• Elevated blood cholesterol.
• All patients with Down syndrome will develop the brain changes of Alzheimer's disease by 40 years of age.