Causes Of Memory Impairment: Improving Memory Understanding Age Related Memory Loss
Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School
Causes of memory impairment
Although mild age-related memory loss is considered normal, more severe memory impairment is not. Many people assume that memory loss is exclusively caused by either aging or Alzheimer's disease. But the truth is that it has a wide range of causes, including medical disorders, medications, and even lifestyle factors. Several health problems are now known to cause memory loss and increase the risk of dementia. Some of these problems, such as hypertension, become more common with age and, together with age-related changes in the brain, help explain why you might become more forgetful as you age. And the capacity of your memory also depends, in part, on the genes you inherit. Fortunately, memory loss caused by illness or lifestyle factors can often be prevented or treated.
| Last updated: | January 23, 2007 |
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Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.
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