Late-Onset Familial Alzheimer Disease

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Disease Overview

Late-onset familial Alzheimer disease, is a form of familial Alzheimer disease, that begins after age 65. In general, Alzheimer disease (AD) is a degenerative disease of the brain that causes gradual loss of memory, judgement and the ability to function socially. The exact underlying cause of late-onset familial AD is not completely understood; however, researchers suspect that it is a complex condition, which is likely associated with multiple susceptibility genes in combination with environmental and lifestyle factors.[127] A gene called APOE has been studied extensively as a risk factor for the disease. In particular, a variant of this gene called the “e4 allele” seems to increase an individual’s risk for developing late-onset Alzheimer disease (people who have this allele are said to have the late-onset familial AD type 2). It is important to understand that APOE is a susceptibility gene, not a determinative gene, which means that people  having two copies of this allele have an increased risk of having AD but not necessarily will have it.[125]  There is no cure for AD. Treatment is supportive and based on the signs and symptoms present in each person.[127]



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National Organization for Rare Disorders