Is Alzheimer's Hereditary?
Alzheimer's is usually not hereditary, so when there is one or more cases of the disease in the family, it does not mean that the other members are at risk of developing the disease.
However, there are some genes that can be inherited from parents and that increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. However, these genes do not cause the disease, and need to be associated with other factors, such as old age, lack of mental exercise, diabetes or head trauma, to lead to the onset of Alzheimer's.
In addition, there is a type of Alzheimer's, known as Family Alzheimer's Disease or Early Alzheimer's, which can pass from parents to children, causing symptoms between the ages of 30 and 40. However, this type of the disease is rare and, generally, family members already know that they can develop Alzheimer's. Learn more about early Alzheimer's.
If you suspect Alzheimer's, take the following test:
