Question:
my father had alzheimers from the age of 44 to 51 (died of a chest infectionat 51).anyhow, does anyone have statistics that give the likelihood of eithermyself or my brother suffering from alzheimers??? The reason I'm soconcerned is because my father was not only the youngest sufferer (in thehome he eventually went to) but also by FAR the worst case.

Any help for me???

Answer: you really need to talk to your doctor about this one. Earlyonset Alzheimers generally has a very strong genetic component. This kindof familial Alzheimers is very different than the sporatic type that hitspeople over 65. You should go and see a specialist in dementias who canreview your family history with you (if your father had this type, otherfamily members in previous generations likely did as well - you need tofind this out to determine if your father inherited his condition) andtalk about your situation with a real expert.

Here is a response on the subject that Howard Cossett posted here a yearago when asked the same question by a person whose friend was worriedabout their own family history. I thought it was such a good answer, Isaved it.

"The only form of Alzheimer Disease (AD) which appears to have a definitegenetic link is known as Familial Alzheimer Disease (FAD). FAD formsonly a very small minority of all cases of AD. Members of these familieshave a 50.0% probability of developing AD and it usually appears beforethe age of 65. It is important to make the distinction between early-onset AD (before the age of 65) and late-onset AD (after the age of 65).Early-onset AD does not automatically indicate FAD. The most common formof AD is Sporadic Alzheimer Disease (SAD).

There are no scientific studies which can either prove or disprove withcertainty the role of genetics in SAD at the present time. Althoughseveral genes have been identified as having the potential to increasethe risk of developing AD, they are not the only factors which influenceSAD. Genetic testing is not an option in Canada except for researchpurposes because of the ethical issues involved. The predictive value ofgenetic testing is not at a level at the present time which would benefitthe persons having thetest.

The gene which has recieved the most attention is the APOE gene. Eachgene is composed of two alleles (one inherited from the mother and onefrom the father). There are three different alleles, the APOE2, APOE3and APOE4. The APOE4 allele is thought to carry the higher risk whereasthe APOE2 carries the lower risk. Persons with the APOE4-APOE4 genecombination are thought to have the highest risk while persons with theAPOE2-APOE2 combination have the lowest. "