Alzheimer's disease is lifestyle related, specifically to diet. A modern, western diet high in sugar and processed carbs raises insulin levels. The body cannot process the glucose. That includes the brain--as Sky King, below, notes. I disagree that we do not have a good understanding of the causes. We need to stop talking about a "healthy diet" as what the USDA recommends, which is way too high in carbs, including "heart healthy" grains. Big food and big Pharma are nothing more than obstacles on a way to understanding Alzheimers, which has increased rapidly at the same time we've seen skyrocketing obesity and diabetes rates. But I'm glad you are writing about Alzheimer's, because it isn't going away as long as we continue to stuff pizza and ice cream in our American faces.