Question: how come young people from 11+ don't get severe Alzheimers

Rachel Harris answered on 8 Nov 2016:

This is a good question.
Only 4% of people who have Alzheimer’s disease are under the age of 65. This is known as early onset Alzheimer’s disease and usually effects people in their 40s, 50s or early 60s.

Some people who are effected at a younger age may have rare genetic mutations that increase the risk of them developing the disease. For the majority of people there is no clear genetic link and we’re not sure why some people get Alzheimer’s disease and some don’t.

Age is the biggest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease because it takes time to build up changes in the brain that lead to the disease. In young people these changes have not happened so they don’t get the disease. These changes can be genetic risk factors (we’re born with these and can’t do anything about them) and lifestyle factors by exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight and a balanced diet.