How do family history and genetics affect a healthy person's risk of Alzheimer's?
Watch Harvard's Top Alzheimer's researcher, Dr. Rudy Tanzi, offer down-to-Earth insights.
We knew my husband's maternal aunt has Alz and is in a home now. She is in her 80's. But we also found out that his paternal grand mother had had it and had been taken care of by family members. He hadn't know it was on both sides of his family. He was diagnosed 4 years ago. he is now 70 and in mid-stage. the doctor just doubled his Razadine and we are waiting a few weeks to see if he gets any more symptoms, or accelerated ones.
My husband's family has a long history on his dad's side. His paternal grandmother had it in her 60s as did his dad, aunt and uncle. My husband was diagnosed at 59, his younger sister at 55. Makes me glad we did not have bio children to chance passing this on to but his sister does and they are terrified.
According to Dr Lawrence Honig, Columbia, "if" the person has Alzheimer's - which is not always the case in dimentia, then there is only a 10% chance that the person carries a gene for it. And since genes are passed down to this person's children from both the father and mother, then there is only a 50% chance that a child will receive the gene from the affected parent. In the end, only 5% of Alzheimer's patients will pass an Alzheimer's mutation to their children. On the bright side 95% will not pass down this mutation.
We knew my husband's maternal aunt has Alz and is in a home now. She is in her 80's. But we also found out that his paternal grand mother had had it and had been taken care of by family members. He hadn't know it was on both sides of his family. He was diagnosed 4 years ago. he is now 70 and in mid-stage. the doctor just doubled his Razadine and we are waiting a few weeks to see if he gets any more symptoms, or accelerated ones.
ReplyDeleteMy husband's family has a long history on his dad's side. His paternal grandmother had it in her 60s as did his dad, aunt and uncle. My husband was diagnosed at 59, his younger sister at 55. Makes me glad we did not have bio children to chance passing this on to but his sister does and they are terrified.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Dr Lawrence Honig, Columbia, "if" the person has Alzheimer's - which is not always the case in dimentia, then there is only a 10% chance that the person carries a gene for it. And since genes are passed down to this person's children from both the father and mother, then there is only a 50% chance that a child will receive the gene from the affected parent. In the end, only 5% of Alzheimer's patients will pass an Alzheimer's mutation to their children. On the bright side 95% will not pass down this mutation.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations dear Jeffrey for your great comment, well fundamented in logic and in correct scientific premises.
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