Alzheimer's Disease Health Center

The main factor that raises your risk for Alzheimer's disease is getting older. About 6 out of 100 people over 65 years and 35 out of 100 people over 85 years have some form of dementia.¹ People rarely have dementia before age 60. Other factors that increase your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease include:

• A family history of Alzheimer's disease, especially if one or more of your parents or siblings has the disease.
• The presence of the apolipoprotein E-4 gene, which increases the chances you will develop Alzheimer's disease.
• Having Down syndrome, which is a genetic disorder that results in intellectual disability.
• Having diabetes, which is a condition that causes high blood sugar.
• A history of depression.