Health Risk Assessment: Evaluating Your Risk For Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is a particularly heartbreaking condition that generally affects people 65 and older. This degenerative brain disorder degrades a person's good judgment, learning capacity, memory and ability to reason. Alzheimer's may also cause anxiety or agitation as well as personality and behavioral changes.

While there is no single cause responsible for Alzheimer's disease, researchers are learning more about the condition every year. Because so little is known about the cause, a health risk assessment for Alzheimer's is relatively short.

Age – This is the most significant risk factor. For every five years after age 65, the Alzheimer's risk almost doubles. The risk is nearly 50 percent for those over 85.

Family history – Immediate family members (parents, siblings) with Alzheimer's disease greatly increase an individual's risk.