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Facts on Familial Alzheimer's Disease

While the genes you inherit from your mother and father are a risk factor with Alzheimer's disease, the vast majority of cases don't have a familial or genetic component. Instead, the dominant risk factors are age, environment and lifestyle. In the rare case of familial Alzheimer's disease, particularly in the early onset form of the disease, gene abnormalities are associated with the onset of this cognitive disorder.

  1. Prevalence

    • True familial Alzheimer's disease, or FAD, accounts for less than 5 percent of all Alzheimer's cases, according to the Alzheimer's Association. To be defined as FAD, the disease must be traced back to a definitive gene abnormality or you must have multiple family members of different generations with the disease. In some cases, both of these genetic risk factors are involved.

    Early Onset

    • Alzheimer's disease that presents itself when you are 55 to 60 (or sometimes even younger) is known as early onset Alzheimer's. This form has been linked to FAD and the genes and gene abnormalities that cause it, according to researchers at the University of Washington. This is not the case when Alzheimer's disease occurs at later ages.

    Gene Abnormality

    • There have been abnomalities linked to FAD in three genes: APP, PSEN1 and PSEN2, according to the National Institutes of Health. These abnormalities are believed to play a part in the formation of plaques in the brain that are hallmarks of the disease.

    Problem Gene

    • The presence of a gene in and of itself, named APOE-e4, has been connected to FAD and early onset of the disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association. There are three other common forms of APOE, but the e4 variation of the gene is considered to be a culprit in FAD cases.

    Gene Therapy

    • If you have a history of early onset Alzheimer's in your family, tests are available to check for the culprit genes and allow you to begin a course of therapy quickly. However, such testing is not recommended for the later onset, more common form of the disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

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