Genetic, Social and Behavioral Risk Factors Associated with Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition which consists of stages of mental, memory, and cognitive decline. As it continues to stand as the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., 44 million people worldwide are affected. The objective of this paper is to explore the risk factors for AD in an attempt to examine potential causes for the incidence of AD. We examined genetics, lifestyle, and pre-existing conditions as risk factors for AD. We found that there are various alleles, such as APP, PSEN, ADAM, APOE, and TREM2, that play a role in the development of AD. It was also determined that behavioral modifications such as following a Mediterranean and ketogenic diet, engaging in regular intellectual activities, and participating in regular physical exercise can all reduce the risk of developing AD. The comorbidity of existing conditions such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular diseases all had an impact on developing AD. There is evidence that genetics, lifestyle, and pre-existing conditions significantly impact the incidence of AD; however, understanding how all these risk factors interrelate with each other is a recommended topic for further study.