Brain & Nervous System Alzheimer's Dementia & Related Cognitive Disorders Factors That Increase Your Risk of Lewy Body Dementia By Esther Heerema, MSW Esther Heerema, MSW Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Esther Heerema, MSW, shares practical tips gained from working with hundreds of people whose lives are touched by Alzheimer's disease and other kinds of dementia. Learn about our editorial process Updated on March 02, 2020 Medically reviewed Verywell Health articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and healthcare professionals. These medical reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Shaheen Lakhan, MD, PhD Medically reviewed by Shaheen Lakhan, MD, PhD LinkedIn Shaheen Lakhan, MD, PhD, is an award-winning, board-certified physician-scientist and clinical development specialist. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Until recently, the only known risk factor for developing Lewy body dementia was considered to be an older age. Research has made some gains lately in sifting out what might increase the risk of developing Lewy body dementia. They include the following: Tom Merton / Getty Images Age As people age, they generally have a greater risk of developing Lewy body dementia. The typical age range for the development of Lewy body dementia is between 50 and 85, although it can occur outside those ages. In one study, researchers found that the peak age range for Lewy body dementia to develop is between 70-79. Not Smoking Interestingly, people with a history of smoking cigarettes have a lower risk of developing Lewy body dementia. However, the negative health effects of smoking are such that this is never recommended as a way to prevent Lewy body dementia. Low Education Levels More years of education are correlated with a reduced risk of Lewy body dementia. Depression and Anxiety A history of depression and anxiety increase the risk of developing Lewy body dementia. Less Caffeine Intake A history of higher caffeine consumption is associated with a lower risk of Lewy body dementia. Caffeine intake has also been correlated with a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. Family History About 10% of Lewy body dementia cases appear to be tied to heredity, where the person inherits the disease from a parent. When someone has had Lewy body dementia or Parkinson's disease, his or her family members have a higher risk of developing Lewy body dementia. These familial cases of Lewy body dementia appear to occur often in younger people. Mutations in genes known as SNCA and SNCB can cause Lewy body dementia. Some research has found that people with a variant of the GBA gene may have a higher risk of developing Lewy body dementia. Being positive for the APOE 4 gene was also found to be higher in those who developed Lewy body dementia. APOE ε4 has been tied to a significantly higher risk of Alzheimer's disease. ADHD According to one study published in the European Journal of Neurology, almost half of the participants in the study had adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), compared to only 15% of those with Alzheimer's disease. Gender Men have a higher chance of developing Lewy body dementia than women do. Approximately twice as many males as females develop Lewy body dementia. Stroke One study found that a prior stroke was correlated with an increased risk of Lewy body dementia. Hypertension High blood pressure has been correlated with a higher risk or both Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia. Diabetes Mellitus Diabetes mellitus, specifically type 2, has been strongly associated with a higher occurrence of Alzheimer's disease, so much so that Alzheimer's is sometimes referred to as "type 3 diabetes." Other research has also determined that diabetes carries a higher risk of Lewy body dementia. Hyperlipidemia Hyperlipidemia, commonly referred to as high cholesterol levels, also increases the risk of both Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia. High cholesterol levels are connected with cardiovascular diseases, which have been tied to increased dementia risk. Oophorectomy History One other factor identified as being connected with a higher risk of developing Lewy body dementia is a history of an oophorectomy, which is the removal of one or both of the ovaries in women. Can You Prevent Lewy Body Dementia? If you have a family history of Lewy body dementia or Parkinson's disease, it's understandable to be concerned about developing Lewy body dementia. Like other types of dementia, there's not a guaranteed way to completely prevent Lewy body dementia. However, understanding the factors that increase the risk helps us identify opposing strategies that can decrease this likelihood, and these strategies are generally connected with better physical health, as well. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! When it comes to Alzheimer's, the MIND diet has shown promise in reducing risk and promoting brain health. Sign up for our Alzheimer’s and Dementia Newsletter and get your free recipe guide today. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 5 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Savica R, Grossardt BR, Bower JH, Boeve BF, Ahlskog JE, Rocca WA. Incidence of dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson disease dementia. JAMA Neurol. 2013;70(11):1396–1402. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2013.3579 Boot BP, Orr CF, Ahlskog JE, et al. Risk factors for dementia with Lewy bodies: a case-control study. Neurology. 2013;81(9):833–840. doi:10.1212/WNL.0b013e3182a2cbd1 Genetics Home Reference. Dementia with Lewy bodies. Golimstok A, Rojas JI, Romano M, Zurru MC, Doctorovich D, Cristiano E. Previous adult attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder symptoms and risk of dementia with Lewy bodies: a case-control study. Eur J Neurol. 2011;18(1):78-84. doi:10.1111/j.1468-1331.2010.03064.x Cheng CK, Tsao YC, Su YC, Sung FC, Tai HC, Kung WM. Metabolic risk factors of Alzheimer's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and normal elderly: A population-based study. Behav Neurol. 2018;2018:8312346. doi:10.1155/2018/8312346