Markers of lower socioeconomic status predict risk of developing incident AD. The mechanism of this relation is uncertain, but the possibility that it reflects unidentified and potentially reversible risk factors for the disease deserves careful investigation.

The incidence of Alzheimer's disease is substantial and is approximately 14 times higher among persons older than 85 years compared with those between 65 and 69 years of age.

In this large prospective cohort, atherogenic dyslipidemias were associated with the subsequent development of hypertension among healthy women.

The authors examined the effects of smoking and alcohol use in a prospective community-based study of incident Alzheimer's disease. Two in-home interviews of the total elderly population of East Boston, Massachusetts, conducted in 1982 and 1985 were used to sample individuals for clinical evaluation for Alzheimer's disease. A total of 513 persons underwent detailed clinical evaluation including neurologic, neuropsychologic, and psychiatric evaluation to diagnose Alzheimer's disease. In weighted logistic regression controlled for age, sex, and education, the estimated odds ratio of Alzheimer's disease was 0.7 (95% confidence interval 0.3-1.4) for ever smokers compared with never smokers. For 40 pack-years of smoking, the odds ratio of Alzheimer's disease was 0.8 (95% confidence interval 0.6-1.1). Consumption of 1 oz (30 ml) of alcohol per day was associated with an odds ratio of 1.1 (95% confidence interval 0.8-1.5). These results suggest that recent mild-to-moderate consumption of alcohol is not substantially related to incidence of Alzheimer's disease and that smoking does not increase risk of the disease.

These prospective data suggest that migraine is not associated with increased risk of subsequent CHD events in women or men.