According to 2022 data, over 6 million Americans over the age of 65 are living with Alzheimer’s disease and was the sixth leading cause of death in 2019. There is no known cure, though medications are available to alleviate symptoms, and this combined with other treatments may help slow progression.
Age and family history are two well known risk factors for developing Alzheimer’s disease. Doctors and researchers don’t exactly know what causes it, though the APOE-epsilon4 allele gene has been shown to increase risk of Alzheimer’s, with risk 10 to 15 times higher if this gene is inherited from both parents.
