Are individuals with a family history of Alzheimer’s disease at increased risk?

Individuals with a family history of Alzheimer’s disease often want to know if they are at increased risk of developing the disease themselves. An article published in Medical News Today (8/5/08) titled, “Link To Maternal Alzheimer's Disease,” examines this issue.  “The researchers studied glucose metabolism in the brain, using PET scans…over a two-year period.  [The researchers] examined 66 cognitively normal individuals, from 50 to 82 years old. Twenty had mothers with the disease, and nine had fathers with Alzheimer's. The rest had no family history of the disease.”  The results of the study were disturbing. “Individuals with a maternal history of the disease had progressive metabolic reductions in glucose usage, and at a much faster rate, in areas of the brain affected by Alzheimer's disease than subjects with a paternal history or no parent with the disease.”  Although it is well-established that “a family history of Alzheimer's is a known risk factor for Alzheimer's”, the results of this study suggest that individuals with a maternal history might be at greater risk due to a unique mechanism. Further studies will have to be done in order to determine if reductions in glucose usage actually predispose individuals to develop clinical symptoms of Alzheimer’s over time.

The Bottom Line: This study suggests that individuals with a maternal history of Alzheimer’s disease may be at even greater risk of developing the disease than those with a paternal history.

Reference: Original article

Suggested Reading:

1. Living with Grief: Alzheimer's Disease (Living with Grief) by Kenneth J. Doka (Paperback - April 2004)
2. Coping & caring: Living with Alzheimer's disease (Healthy US) by Charles Leroux (Unknown Binding - 1986)
3. Different Minds: Living with Alzheimer Disease by Lorna Drew and Leo Ferrari (Paperback - Sep 22, 2005)
4. A Guide for Living with Alzheimer's Disease, Caring for the Caregiver by Parke-Davis (Spiral-bound - 1994) 1996)

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Support Groups:

http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/alzheimersdisease/alzheimersdisease.htm

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com