Despite an abundance of research, the etiology of Alzheimer’s disease is not fully understood. Evidence suggests that 5% or fewer cases of Alzheimer’s disease are “familial,” with “sporadic” classifications accounting for 95% of AD diagnoses. Thus, research is increasingly directed toward understanding the impact of the environment, lifestyles, other disease states, and medical treatments as potential modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease. A recent meta-analysis found a variety of factors related to increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease including head injury in males, diabetes mellitus, use of conjugated equine estrogen with medroxyprogesterone acetate, current smoking, and low social engagement (Hersi et al., 2017).
