9 Factors That Could Increase Your Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

Losing your mind while your body still has a long way to go is one of the worst things one could go through. Sadly, this is what Alzheimer’s does.

Alzheimer’s disease is the main cause of dementia and the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Unfortunately, a cure hasn’t been found yet, but researchers are constantly trying to find out as many things as possible about the disease, in order to prevent it until it can be efficiently treated. Based on numerous studies regarding Alzheimer’s and its possible causes, here are 9 factors researchers identified in association with a greater likelihood of developing the disease.

Alzheimer’s risk factors

Level of education

It might seem unrelated, but there’s actually a pretty strong connection between one’s level of education and their risks of developing Alzheimer’s. According to various studies, people who continue to study throughout their lives and even into their 60s or 70s, have higher chances of keeping Alzheimer’s and dementia at bay. More than that, people with higher levels of education have heavier brains. Considering that dementia patients lose one-third of their brain weight, having a heavier brain can definitely work in your favor.

“This association between the increase in college attainment and the decline in dementia prevalence is good news for people who have completed some higher education,” said Eileen M. Crimmins, university professor at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. “People who are less educated are more likely to develop dementia, and live longer with it.”