My gran - Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia Message Board

girl_next_door · 02-25-2006, 11:25 PM

My grandmother had alzheimers for 10 years before passing late last year. I was wondering if this disease is hereditory or not?

thanks

BarbaraH · 02-26-2006, 12:35 PM

Hi -

I think that the most recent conclusion is that a small percentage of AD seems heretitary, but most is not. No one in my mother's family had it as far back as I can tell and Mom was 84 or so when she had problems that could be noticed. Mom's sister-in-law was also the first in her family to have it.

I hope you'll enjoy your life and not worry over what may happen in 40 or more years from now and that may never happen at all. Just keep it in the back of your mind so you can do all of the preventative things the medical community of the future says will help!

Cheers! Barbara

LuvMyLilDoggie · 02-26-2006, 12:42 PM

Hi and welcome!

I'm so sorry this horrible disease has affected your family and taken your sweet grandmother.

I believe there are genetic markers that can be passed down and my personal belief is that it can be heriditary. My dad has it. My dad's brother has it. Their dad had it. My mom's sister has it. Her mom had it. I don't know if my mom would have gotten it. She died rather young.

It's a scary thought that it can be heriditary. But my hope is that there's a cure or at least a drug to stop the progression before I get it. I'd say that with it being so prevalent in both sides of my family, the chances of me getting it are pretty high. But I try not to worry about it. There's a lot of research going on with AD and all dementias. I believe the treatment will be much better by the time I get to the age my family members were when they got it.

Love, Barb

plymouth · 02-26-2006, 12:50 PM

New research increasingly suggests that alzheimers may be a form of diabetes. This implies that it may start forming early in life and might be prevented with healthy diet and exercise.

Martha H · 02-26-2006, 01:06 PM

This is the first time I ever heard this. Interesting.

Mom never had diabetes and her blood sugar has been normal all her long life. She credited her early childhood for that ... she always said "I have great feet because we had no shoes, and great teeth because we had no sugar ... and no candy = no diabetes."

If it turns out to be diabetes related, that would be good because we can control that with diet and medications. Let us know more!

Martha