10 Warning Signs
Frequently Asked Questions
Statistics
Research

 

Does Alzheimer's disease run in families?

The evidence is not clear? Cases where several members of a single family have had autopsy-confirmed diagnoses of Alzheimer's disease are rare. Much more common is the situation where a single family member is diagnosed as having probable Alzheimer's (meaning the physicians are 80 to 90 percent certain that it is Alzheimer's).

A person's risk of developing the disease seems to be slightly higher if a first-degree relative (brother, sister, parent) has the disease. This situation is called "familial," which means there could be a genetic factor involved, or perhaps family members were exposed to something in the environment that caused the disease.

 

Does Alzheimer's disease occur in younger adults?

Yes. The disease can occur in people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, however, most people diagnosed with Alzheimer's are older than age 65. This is called "early onset" and represents less than 10 percent of Alzheimer's disease, the issues related to care, financial planning, work, family, etc., can be very different than with older adults with the disease.

 

Isn't memory loss a natural part of aging?

Yes and no. Everyone has forgotten where they parked the car or the name of an acquaintance at one time or another. And many healthy individuals are less able to remember certain kinds of information as they get older.

The symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are much more severe than such simple memory lapses. Alzheimer's symptoms affect communication, learning, thinking, reasoning, and can have an impact on a person's work and social life.

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