Where your DNA places you among other people, and the studies behind it.
Not tailored to your result, and not medical advice
Exercise Regularly: Physical activity is among the most consistently supported modifiable factors for brain health. In long-term observational studies, physically active people are less likely to develop dementia than inactive people, with moderately and highly active groups showing roughly 22-32% lower risk of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer's. Aerobic activity supports cerebrovascular health, and beginning or maintaining exercise in midlife is associated with substantial benefit. Brain Sciences (review)
Maintain Cardiovascular Health: Several cardiovascular risk factors overlap with dementia risk factors. The 2024 Lancet Commission identifies midlife hypertension, diabetes, high LDL cholesterol, and obesity among the modifiable factors associated with dementia. Managing blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and body weight, particularly in midlife, is associated with lower late-life dementia risk and supports overall brain health. The Lancet (Lancet Commission 2024)
Stay Socially and Cognitively Active: Social isolation and lower educational and cognitive engagement are among the modifiable factors associated with dementia in the Lancet Commission analysis. Regular social engagement, cognitively stimulating activities such as reading, games, and learning new skills, and maintaining a sense of purpose are thought to build cognitive reserve that may help delay symptom onset. The Lancet (Lancet Commission 2024)
Address Hearing Loss: Hearing loss is one of the largest single contributors among the modifiable dementia risk factors estimated by the Lancet Commission. Untreated hearing loss is associated with greater cognitive load and social isolation, and trials such as ACHIEVE suggest that hearing aids may slow cognitive decline in older adults at higher risk. Screening hearing regularly, especially after age 50, and using hearing aids when indicated are reasonable steps. The Lancet (Lancet Commission 2024)
Consider APOE Genotyping with Genetic Counseling: For more specific risk information, APOE genotyping is an option. Research indicates that ε4 homozygotes follow a distinct, more predictable disease course, yet APOE ε4 raises risk without guaranteeing that Alzheimer's will develop. Because the results have meaningful personal and family implications, genetic counseling is recommended to interpret them in context. National Institute on Aging (NIA)
How much of this is genetic?
Genetics explains 70% of why people differ in this trait. The rest is environment, daily habits and chance.
Heritability estimate: Gatz 2006, Arch Gen Psychiatry (twins)
Background and further reading
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that accounts for 60-80% of all dementia cases. It is marked by progressive deterioration of memory, thinking, behavior, and the ability to carry out daily activities. Pathologically, AD involves the accumulation of amyloid-beta plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles in the brain, which contributes to neuronal loss. In the United States, an estimated 6.9 million people aged 65 and older were living with Alzheimer's dementia in 2024, and prevalence rises sharply with age, from about 5% of people aged 65-74 to roughly 33% of those aged 85 and older [1]. Although there is currently no cure, earlier detection and anti-amyloid antibody therapies have begun to change how the disease is managed.
Genetic Basis: Late-onset Alzheimer's accounts for the great majority of cases, and twin studies place its heritability in the range of 60-80%. The APOE gene is by far the strongest common genetic risk factor. Relative to the common APOE ε3/ε3 genotype, one copy of the ε4 allele is associated with roughly a 3-fold higher risk and two copies with a 12- to 15-fold higher risk, while the ε2 allele is protective [4]. APOE ε4 is not deterministic: ε4 homozygotes are estimated to have about a 60% chance of developing Alzheimer's dementia by age 85, and although they make up only about 2% of the population they represent an estimated 15% of cases [4]. Beyond APOE, a large 2022 genome-wide association study identified 75 risk loci, 42 of them new, implicating amyloid and tau processing, immune and microglial function (for example TREM2, CR1, CD33), and lipid metabolism (CLU, ABCA7) [2]. Rare early-onset familial AD, fewer than 1% of cases, is caused by mutations in APP, PSEN1, or PSEN2.
Modifiable Risk Factors: The 2024 Lancet Commission estimates that around 45% of dementia cases worldwide are associated with 14 potentially modifiable risk factors: less education, hearing loss, high LDL cholesterol, depression, traumatic brain injury, physical inactivity, diabetes, smoking, hypertension, obesity, excessive alcohol, untreated vision loss, air pollution, and social isolation [3]. These estimates reflect population-level associations rather than guaranteed individual outcomes, but they indicate that addressing such factors, especially in midlife, may reduce or delay dementia even among people with elevated genetic risk.
The published research behind your score, and the variants it draws on.
9 published scores from 3 studies
The alzheimer's disease score combines 9 polygenic scores drawn from 3 published studies.
Alzheimer's Association. 2024 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures. Alzheimer's & Dementia (2024)
These traits are influenced by some of the same genes and variants as this one
Content updated August 2026.
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