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Early
Onset Alzheimer’s |
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Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia (a
neuropathological disorder affecting many cognitive functions of the brain)
commonly occurring among people aged 65 years above. The disorder has been
associated with aging, which prompted many scientists to believe that both
are related. However, there have been cases reported of people developing
the disease before reaching 65. The condition came to be known as early
onset Alzheimer’s.
What is it?
Early onset Alzheimer’s is just Alzheimer’s disease that develops before the
patients reaches 65 years of age. Some of those who are affected can be as
young as 40 or 50. There was also one very rare case where the victim was
only 29 years old.
As to how common early onset Alzheimer’s is, a neuropsychologist at the Mayo
Clinic, Rochester, Minn., Glenn E. Smith, Ph.D., answers that only about six
to eight percent of people with Alzheimer’s develop the symptoms before 65
years of age. This means that around 300,000 out of the 4.5 million
Alzheimer’s patients have the early onset form.
What is the cause?
Early onset Alzheimer’s runs in the family. Usually, a person who develops
early onset Alzheimer’s has a parent or a grandparent who also developed the
same form of Alzheimer’s.
The development of the disease could be traced back to a defective gene on
any of three chromosomes: 1, 14, or 21. Only a very small number of people
have this genetic mutation, which scientists describe as autosomal dominant
– meaning that if either parent has one copy of this gene, the son or
daughter may be affected.
However, this gene is different from the apo-E gene that has been associated
with Alzheimer’s disease. While you can have the apo-E gene on your
chromosomes, it is quite possible that you do not develop Alzheimer’s.
Conversely, you may not have the apo-E gene but still may develop
Alzheimer’s once you reach the age of 65.
The same is not true with early onset Alzheimer’s, however. As long as you
have any of the three genes mentioned, it would be considered very unusual
if you do not develop Alzheimer’s before reaching 65.
Is testing advisable?
Testing for any of the three genes that trigger early onset Alzheimer’s is
advisable. However, it remains a personal decision on your part. It should
be noted that genetic testing for early onset Alzheimer’s is very difficult,
as is the case with any diseases that do not yet have a cure.
Decide by weighing down what are the advantages and disadvantages to you and
to your family if you do decide to get tested for early onset Alzheimer’s
genes. In addition to being difficult, testing can also be expensive. If you
have any relatives that have developed Alzheimer’s at an early age, family
planning might prove a wise step. |
| This article
is provided courtesy of Roxanne Courtmanch. Please visit
www.thehelpingcircle.com for more articles on Alzheimers
as well as many other topics that may be of interest to you. |
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Early Onset Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia (a
neuropathological disorder affecting many cognitive functions of the brain)
commonly
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