Causes of Alzheimer's and various factors that increase the risk

Alzheimer's disease is one of the most common types of dementia in the elderly. One of the typical symptoms is that it makes the sufferer easy to forget or lose memory, aka dazed. However, do you know what causes Alzheimer's disease? Come on, find out the answer in the following review.

The main cause of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive disease that causes a decline in memory, ability to think and behave. Until now, the exact cause of Alzheimer's disease is not fully understood.

However, scientists argue that this disease occurs due to a combination of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors that affect the brain over time.

In addition, this disease is also related to problems with proteins in the brain that fail to function normally, interfere with the performance of brain cells, and release toxins. This is what causes brain cells to become damaged, lose their connection with each other, and eventually die.

The damage most often occurs in areas of the brain that control memory, but the process begins years before the first symptoms appear. Over time the damage to the brain can spread to form a pattern and in the final stages the brain will experience shrinkage.

In order to find out the causes of Alzheimer's disease, until now researching the following things:

Plaque

Plaque can form in the brain and is suspected of damaging tissue in the brain. This plaque is made of beta-amyloid, which is a protein in the brain. When these proteins collect and settle, there may be a toxic effect (poison) produced. These toxins can interfere with cell-to-cell communication, causing damage.

Tau protein

Tau protein in the brain serves as a transportation system to carry nutrients and other essential ingredients. In Alzheimer's disease, the tau protein changes shape and organizes itself into tangled structures. These tangled structures interfere with the cell transport system in the brain and have a toxic effect on the brain.

Factors that cause a high risk of Alzheimer's disease

Although the cause of this disease is not known with certainty. Researchers have found various factors that can increase the risk, as quoted from the National Health Service website:

• Age

The risk of Alzheimer's disease increases with age. In most cases of Alzheimer's disease is also found in people aged 65 years and over.

Please note that the risk doubles every 5 years, once you reach 65 years of age. Even so, it is possible that 1 in 20 people can develop this disease at a younger age than the average age.

• Family medical history

One of the causes of the high risk of Alzheimer's disease is a family medical history. The genes you inherit from your parents can contribute to your risk of Alzheimer's disease, although the increased risk is small.

If anyone in your family has had this disease from generation to generation, especially at a young age, genetic counseling and testing will need to be carried out. The goal is to get information on the chances of getting sick in old age and what Alzheimer's disease prevention measures can be taken.

• Down syndrome

Certain health problems, for example Down syndrome, can be a contributing factor to the high risk of Alzheimer's disease. Although not all, some people who have this disease are known to develop Alzheimer's disease in old age.

People with Down syndrome are born with an extra copy of chromosome 21, which carries the APP gene. This gene produces a specific protein called amyloid precursor protein (APP). Too much APP protein causes a build-up of protein clumps called beta-amyloid plaques in the brain.

By age 40, nearly everyone with Down's syndrome has amyloid plaques, along with other congestion-causing protein deposits in the brain. This condition will later cause problems with brain cell function and increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's.

However, not all patients with these brain plaques will develop Alzheimer's symptoms. According to estimates, the number is up to 50% or more. People with Down syndrome usually start showing symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in their 50s or 60s.

• Head injury

Another factor that can put you at a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease is having a severe head injury.

Studies show that this risk is generally owned by people who inherit the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene, also known as APOE-e4. But until now, researchers are still making deeper observations.

• Cardiovascular disease (disease of the heart and vessels)

Research shows that certain lifestyles linked to heart disease and problems with the surrounding blood vessels can contribute to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. The lifestyle in question is:

• Have a smoking habit.
• Have diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure) or high cholesterol levels.
• Obesity (overweight).

• Poor sleep quality

Poor quality sleep, such as experiencing insomnia, has been linked to various health problems. One of them is Alzheimer's disease. This is because poor sleep quality affects brain and mental health which can increase the risk of dementia.

• Mild cognitive impairment

Mild cognitive impairment is a decrease in memory or the ability to think. However, this condition does not prevent a person from functioning in a social or work environment. People who have this disorder are known to have a high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

In addition to the factors mentioned above, there are also a number of things that can cause the high risk of Alzheimer's disease, namely:

• Hearing loss.
• Experiencing depression and not getting treatment or depression is severe.
• Lonely and feeling isolated in a social environment.
• Bad lifestyle, namely lazy to move and lazy to exercise.