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Does it depend on how close the family relationship or how early the onset?

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My mother has it. . .her sister died from it. . .it's hard to tell if it is genetic because all her brother's died before age 80 and her parents died before age 65. Every time I forget something or lose something I become concerned. I'm sure I'm not the only person with this thought.
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went to a seminar given by a well known Neurologist regarding Alzheimer's disease. I asked this question about the chances of hereditary and another person asked about the previous alcohol abuse question. He could not give a definitive answer, because so much is unknown. I also posed the question of how long do we wait to get a diagnosis, until i can't draw a clock? I have so many similarities of my mom, who we just placed into Skilled care. Diet and exercise, staying active, all of these mantras are great, But are no guarentee that it will keep dementia specifically ALZ at bay. I am scared of this future. Truthfully I don't want to be living with alz in 20 years. the numbers of projected people to have this are frightening. Thanks for bringing up this subject.
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I have a slightly different attitude. My husband with ALZ is only 68. I don't want to lose him, but he is so healthy. I could easily (sort of easily) take 20 years of his present condition, but I'm afraid of a fast mental decline followed by a slow physical decline. His very frail mother lived to 83.

My father was definitely showing dementia over his last 5 years, but he still lived alone at age 84, and died before he got very bad.

Other than being broke, I don't lose sleep over anything that might happen to me at age 84. Oh, yeah, diabetes. I would hate to have to follow rules about what I eat. We all know that something is going to get us. If we get ALZ, we will soon forget that we have it. We'll all be dead in 50 years, except for the youngsters.

Good diet, exercise, good social relations, and a good relationship with our Higher Power will help us enjoy life as much as we can for as long as we can. Worrying can't change a thing. It can only spoil your happiness today.

Don't fret about heredity. The older you are, the more likely you are to get dementia. An early death is one way to avoid it. Live hard, die young, and leave a beautiful corpse. Oops! Too late for the beautiful corpse, at least for me.

I realize I have it a lot easier than many of you, at least for now. I'm being flippant while you take daily abuse from your "loved one." I gripe about repeated questions while you hurt your back lifting a fallen mother. You have my love and support.
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Yes, I hear you mgcarter, from my research reading, internet, talking to specialists and geriatricians, there is so much that is unknown, but just because your parents had dementia does not necessarily mean you will get it. Fine by me, if it is not one thing it will be another that will get me. I think it has a lot to do with activity levels both physical and intellectually, diet, statins, drugs and alcohol, perhaps hormones. High incidence of dementia in Ireland, and we know that the Irish like their drink. I will just try to do it one day at a time and keep myself active.
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I have no C L U E...My husbands Sister has it..and Leo has it..seems it is worse on some days than others...It is HELL when he is mean....with it...He wanted to go shopping the day after Christmas..I told him it was too crowded..he said I will take my elbows and knock people out of the way..I will clear a path...he wanted me to take him...we got in the car..and I drove him all around ...EVERY WHERE BUT to the stores...I had his camera with me..and told him to take photos...He was so mad..he took his camera and would hold it up to the window and just click it...then we saw wild turkeys...lots of them..and then he was better...we saw a Hawk and deer...and he got into taking photos..and then I took him to Mc Donalds ....he forgot about shopping..!!! But everyday he wants to go somewhere....LAWD
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Early-onset Alzheimer's disease occurs in people age 30 to 60. It is rare, representing less than 5 percent of all people who have Alzheimer's. Some cases of early-onset Alzheimer's have no known cause, but most cases are inherited, a type known as familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD). You can be tested for it.
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The majority of cases of dementia (of the many various forms) do not currently appear to have a clear genetic link between generations. There is much that is not known about the origins of dementia. There may be lifestyle links between generations, at least for some forms of dementia.
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Is Alzheimer's Disease Hereditary?

Genetic research has turned up evidence of a link between Alzheimer's disease and genes on four chromosomes, labeled numerically as 1, 14, 19, and 21.

The APOE gene on chromosome 19 has been linked to late-onset Alzheimer's disease, which is the most common form of the disease. Dozens of studies around the world have confirmed that inheritance of one particular variant of the APOE gene, termed APOE4, increases the lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.


One of the puzzles surrounding APOE is why some people with the APOE4 variant do not develop Alzheimer's disease and why, conversely, many people develop the disease even though they have not inherited APOE4 . APOE, in other words, although clearly influencing the risk of developing Alzheimer's, is not a consistent genetic marker for the disease.

What Is the Role of Genetics in Familial Alzheimer's Disease?

Alzheimer's disease strikes early and fairly often in certain families, often enough to be singled out as a separate form of the disease and given a label: early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease, or FAD. Combing through the DNA of these families, researchers have found an abnormality in one gene on chromosome 21 that is common to a few of the families. And they have linked a much larger proportion of early-onset families to recently identified and related genes on chromosomes 1 and 14.

The chromosome 21 gene also intrigues Alzheimer's researchers because of its role in Down syndrome. People with Down syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21 and, as they grow older, usually develop abnormalities in the brain like those found in Alzheimer's disease, though often at a younger age.

Few researchers think that the search for Alzheimer's genes is over. Most investigators are convinced that there are many more genes involved in Alzheimer's disease and, moreover, that other conditions must also be present for the disease to develop. One of these conditions may be a problem with the way in which nerves turn sugar, or glucose, into energy, a process known as glucose metabolism.

use your own judgement, make some decisions about your future and HUGS to everyone!!
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I had my mom screened for a study. There were two different groups in the study, one for people with the APOE4 gene the other without. The group for people with the gene was full. Mom had the gene so did not qualify for the study. The APOE4 gene is an indicator that someone MAY develop Alzheimer's. But people with and without the gene develop the disease. I think they will find it is not a single factor, but many that cause the disease to manifest.
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My Husband, Leo, Was an ordnance worker on the Navy base, he was exposed to gun powder, depleted uranium, asbestos, and many other chemicals..he cleaned HUGE GUN barrels..Service weapons..Army, Navy, ect...as he spent time in the service and learned the trade he became a firing officer and still worked in Ordnance..he used to come home smelling like Gun powder...since he was a red neck..he did not take his clothes off and wash them right away...we would all have dinner he would pick up his children and feed them off his lap...At that time there was no Standard operating procedure..but it did come later ...so it is hard to say...what is inherited, what is from the job and what is from how we lived..and ate..I was young..in a hurry to work, raise my kids, get dinner on the table, ..go to work..I had 3 jobs back then and Time was of the essence...NOW we are old..falling apart..and Would like to find some youth in the bottle..that is not going to happen..all we can do now...is live the best life we can...
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