Within the last week, I posted two articles that I found online regarding factors that can be attributed to Alzheimer’s and I was quite surprised by both articles. However, both articles made me a little skeptical as well, mainly because I don’t remember my grandmother or any other relative that had this.

However, one article said that “high blood pressure” can cause Alzheimer’s and there was even a study done about how having high blood pressure affects the brain and its tissue. I thought about this and I knew my grandmother didn’t have high blood pressure, but her husband that that problem more than she did. He had heart problems, high blood pressure and other illnesses that plagued him. So I was a little skeptical about this, but remember everyone is different. Our genetic makeup is different from the next person. Not to say that my grandmother wasn’t stressed and experienced high blood pressure, she did! She did take care of six children and managed the household and that can be stressful. But again, she wasn’t diagnosed with Alzheimer’s until she was 75 and even then, they figured it was hereditary. Then again, I don’t necessarily rule out high blood pressure as being one of many factors that can cause this.

The next article I read talked about a woman’s chances of developing Alzheimer’s based upon how many children they have. I was surprised and a little skeptical by this because I thought: “What does this have anything to do with getting Alzheimer’s?” But this article stated that if you have more than 5 kids, your chances of Alzheimer’s are increased to 70% compared to women with less than 5 children. True story: My grandmother had five boys and one girl. Her mother had (I think) six children. My great aunt had 7-8 children. So my grandmother got it, her mother have gotten it (I don’t remember, but she did have a massive stroke that almost paralyzed her), and my great aunt recently passed last year because of cancer and showed a little form of Alzheimer’s. So maybe, this is the case, but again, it really depends on your genetic makeup, too.

In the article, it did talk about 3500 women over 60 that had multiple children and found out that during pregnancy, women experience high levels of estrogen in their bodies. This can be a factor, however, I can’t ask my grandmother or great aunt about their estrogen levels because for one they’re dead and two, I don’t think they would remember their pregnancies if I did even had the chance to ask them. All of their children are in their 50’s and 60’s now. I will say this that whatever is hereditary, advanced age, and other factors caused some relatives of my family to develop this.