How to Figure Out Your Risk Level for Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer’s disease — AKA the long goodbye — is a scary prospect. Slowly losing touch with a loved one as their memory slips away is agonizing. 

Though there’s no cure for this insidious disease, knowing your risk factors can help you and your family prepare for its potential onset.

Our experienced neurologists at Advanced Medical Care understand the fear and uncertainty surrounding Alzheimer’s disease, a form of dementia. We’re here to shed light on the known risk factors and an innovative way to support your brain health. 

Understanding your Alzheimer’s risk factors

Risk factors describe any condition or circumstance that makes you more likely to contract a disease. When it comes to Alzheimer’s disease, researchers have narrowed the factors to five specific areas. Some are out of your control, but others are changeable. Here’s what we know.

Genetic factors

If you have a parent or sibling with Alzheimer’s, your risk is higher than someone without a family history of the disease. 

Two types of genes come into play here: risk genes that slightly increase your risk of Alzheimer’s and deterministic genes that cause it. However, less than 1% of Alzheimer’s cases stem from these genes. 

So, having one or more family members with Alzheimer’s increases your risk but doesn’t guarantee you’ll develop it.

Age

Age is the most significant factor — the risk of developing Alzheimer’s doubles every five years after age 65. Though age alone doesn't cause the disease, the changes in the brain associated with aging can contribute to its development.

Lifestyle and environmental factors

Your lifestyle choices and environment also influence your Alzheimer’s risk. For example, physical inactivity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet, and lack of mental stimulation can increase your risk. Conversely, maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle can help reduce it.

You can’t control age and genetics, but you can take charge of your lifestyle and give yourself a better chance of sidestepping Alzheimer’s disease. 

Health conditions

Several health conditions are linked to an elevated risk of Alzheimer’s disease, including:

• Cardiovascular disease: high blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes 
• Obesity: Excessive weight, especially in midlife
• Depression: Depression may precede, coincide with, or follow an Alzheimer’s diagnosis

Maintaining a healthy body weight, a strong heart, and a healthy mind can help you avoid Alzheimer’s.

Oxidative stress

Oxidative stress is another crucial risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. It occurs when your body has an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants. Free radicals are harmful, unstable molecules that become problematic when you have too many. 

External sources such as cigarette smoke and air pollution can also increase your exposure to free radicals. 

Normally, antioxidants neutralize free radicals, preventing them from causing cellular damage and aging. However, when free radicals outnumber antioxidants, oxidative stress occurs, potentially leading to Alzheimer’s and other serious conditions like Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. 

Glutathione IV therapy as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease

Although understanding your risk factors is crucial, it’s equally important to be informed about potential treatments and therapies. At Advanced Medical Care, one of our most promising approaches is glutathione IV therapy.

Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant found in every cell of your body. It helps fight oxidative stress, which plays a role in the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

We deliver glutathione directly into your bloodstream through an intravenous (IV) line, so it goes straight to your cells.

Potential benefits for Alzheimer’s and dementia

Because research shows that oxidative stress contributes to the nerve degenerative process in Alzheimer’s, boosting your body’s antioxidant defenses may help protect your brain cells from damage. Here are some of the potential benefits of our glutathione IV therapy:

• Reduces oxidative stress
• Removes toxins that can contribute to cellular damage
• Supports mitochondrial function essential for energy production in brain cells
• Improves overall brain health

Don’t wait for Alzheimer’s disease to creep in — find out if you’re at risk by consulting with our Advanced Medical Care team in Queens and Brooklyn, New York. We can start you on a proactive glutathione IV treatment to reduce your chances of developing Alzheimer’s and help you manage your symptoms if you have it.