Is Alzheimer's Disease Hereditary?

A common concern about Alzheimer’s disease raised by family members is to understand whether Alzheimer’s is hereditary. Dr. Sarah E. Ross, Silverado medical associate, explains that the disease can be hereditary, depending on the circumstance patient’s age being one of the biggest risk factors. Is Alzheimer’s Disease Hereditary?

 
Ross explains that if someone develops Alzheimer’s disease in the later years of their lives, between ages 75-­85, the risk of developing it within the family is no greater than the general population. However when a patient develops the disease during their 50s or ­60s, “the family link is much stronger for early ­onset Alzheimer’s disease,” says Ross. Additionally, the disease presents itself differently in younger versus older patients. The progression of Alzheimer’s is more rapid in younger patients, whereas the the disease can be a slower and gradual progression in older patients.