is Alzheimer hereditary?

Answer 1

*There is no single gene responsible for all cases of Alzheimer’s disease
*Genetic factors cause the disease in only a small number of families with dementia
*Amongst cases without a family link, there is a genetic component to the disease; however, inherited factors alone do not explain why some people develop it and others do not.

Answer 2

Familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD) is a rare form of the disease, affecting less than 10 percent of Alzheimer’s disease patients. All FAD is early-onset, meaning the disease develops before age 65. It is caused by gene mutations on chromosomes 1, 14, and 21. Even if one of these mutated genes is inherited from a parent, the person will almost always develop early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. All offspring in the same generation have a 50/50 chance of developing FAD if one of their parents had it.

The majority of Alzheimer’s disease cases are late-onset, usually developing after age 65. Late-onset Alzheimer’s disease has no known cause and shows no obvious inheritance pattern. However, in some families, clusters of cases are seen. Although a specific gene has not been identified as the cause of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, genetic factors do appear to play a role in the development of this form of the disease. The ApoE gene on chromosome 19 has three forms— ApoE2, ApoE3 and ApoE4. Studies have shown that people who inherit the E4 version of the gene are more likely to develop the late-onset form of Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists estimate that an additional four to seven genes influence the risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. One of these genes is called UBQLN1 and is located on chromosome 9.

Genetic risk factors alone are not enough to cause the late-onset form of Alzheimer’s disease, so researchers are actively exploring education, diet, and environment to learn what role they might play in the development of this disease.

Answer 3

Yes, there is a link to hereditary genes for Alzheimers

Answer 4

There is a hereditary component. My dad has it and his maternal aunt had it. He is part of a genetic study where they are looking for markers.