Alzheimer’s takes a toll on its patients. As the disease progresses, a person’s personality deteriorates, and so, too, does their judgement, their memory, and their motor skills. But a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s dementia affects much more than the individual who is diagnosed.
That’s because the disease fosters feelings of fear and loss for the family, friends, and loved ones who witness its destruction, while also causing concerns for those same individuals about their own futures with the disease. So, what should you worry about when a biological parent or sibling develops dementia? Is Alzheimer's genetic, and should you be anxious about your genetic risk?
The answer is far from straightforward. Though there are many genetic mutations that are tied to Alzheimer’s, there's also an abundance of other factors that affect the development of the disease, making it difficult to determine a person's susceptibility from their genes alone.
