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1.
Age
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The
older a person is, the greater the risk
of developing the disease.
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2.
Gender
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It appears to affect more women than men.
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3.
Family History
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The risk of developing the disease is
greater if a primary relative (ie. parent,
grandparent or sibling) developed AD prior
to the age of 65 yrs.
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4.
Down's Syndrome
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All
people with Down's syndrome develop the
same brain changes as in Alzheimer's disease
by the time they are 40 years old. Their
abilities and behaviour will then progressively
deteriorate as in AD. |
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5.
Head Injury
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A
severe head injury or repeated blows to
the head (eg. boxing) may predispose a
person to the development of AD.
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6.
Severe deficiencies of Folic Acid and
Vitamin B12
|
are
now recognised as risk factors for the
development of AD. The degree of deficiency
appears related to a co-existent malabsorptive
process ie. the digestive system does
not absorb nutrients effectively.
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