It is still debated what causes Alzheimer’s disease. As we know that Alzheimer’s disease is an abnormality in which acetylcholine, tangles and plaques found in the brain. These things reduce the effectiveness of neurons to deliver information to and from the brain, and eventually destroy them.
What causes Alzheimer’s disease be awful is that gradually, the damage spreads to several areas of the brain, such as the hippocampus (responsible for memory) and the grey matter (responsible for processing thoughts).
Most scientists believe that what causes Alzheimer’s disease is the result from a combination of environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors that affect the brain for a long time.
What Causes Alzheimer’s disease?
There are several factors that are known to increase your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Once you reach 65 years old, you will have a high chance to develop Alzheimer’s disease. However, it is not just elderly people who are at risk of developing this disease. People around 40 years of old also have a risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This is what called as early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
People who have had suffered severe injuries to the head or neck also reported to have a high risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Genes you inherit from your parents can also play a role in developing Alzheimer’s disease in your body. If some of your family members have developed Alzheimer’s for several generations, then you probably will develop this disease too when you are older.
The use of drugs for a long time
Regular use of drugs to treat insomnia or anxiety for a long time is not recommended. Some drugs like clonazepam, alprazolam and lorazepam are only allowed consumed for a short time, but in reality many people are using them for a long period. The use of drugs more than 3 months may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease up to 51%.
A study found a connection between Alzheimer’s disease with cardiovascular disease, such as: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and smoking.
You can lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by having a healthy lifestyle, such as not smoking, a balanced diet, regular exercise and routine health checks as you get older.
Down’s syndrome patients have a high likelihood to develop Alzheimer’s disease, due to the formation of amyloid plaques in their brains continuously, which can lead to Alzheimer’s disease at some point.