Is Alzheimer's and dementia hereditary?

My Moms mom lived to 91, no dementia at all, yet mom got it. The special on PBS said Carbs are the Cause! He wrote a book called grain brain and hes a neurologist, we cant win I guess. I get scared every time I forget something.

My grandmother and all her 12 siblings died with Alzheimer's, was it heredity or environment? In this case no children of theirs (now in their eighties and older) has it, so I would vote for environment.

About sugar products, sugar isn't good for anyone, that is why I watch my 86 year old"s sugar intake.

I hope not......if it is, my kids will know what they're up against since they see it day in and day out with mom living with us.......I'm sure I'd drive them nuts repeating the same questions over and over........only time will tell........

All of my grandparents were gone before they were 75 except one, she lived to 81. If there was any symptom of any type of dementia no one noticed. Both my father and mother were diagnosed, Dad died are 77, Mom is 88 and is in middle stages.
I truly believe, due to most people not living as long as they do now, the different types of dementia just did not show up yet in mass exposure until recent years thanks to modern meds. Am I scared that I will show symptoms? Sure, every time I forget something or can't bring up something I want to remember. Am I going to lose sleep over it, no. All we can do is prepare so our kids do not have to deal with what we are dealing with.
Nursing home insurance, if you can afford it, can be used either in a nursing home or with home care depending on the company. However, none will pay for over 5 years I don't care how long you pay into it. Let's face it, if we end up with some type of dementia, we won't care. That is the tragedy and beauty of the disease. Mom is physically well, has a place to stay, 24/7 caretakers, private family chauffeurs for appointments. Other than that, she could care less. It is a caretakers affliction plain and simple.

RIGHT NOW ON PUBLIC TELEVISION CHANNEL 11 HERE, IS ON ALZHEIMERS AND THE CURE!

MY gram had it....my dad had it and now my mom has it....I am scared.....

1956Sherry - Keep on doing what works for you. Trying to keep germs away from yourself and your ill husband makes a lot of sense.

I have a strong immune system, and I choose to risk germs from the subway handrails because I am more likely to fall down and break my crown than to get sick. Some people think I'm crazy.

You are a good person and have a hard life. God bless you.

LOLOL Well..It is just me...Cause it is too much $$$ to get sick..to take time off from work..to heal...the cost of doctor and meds...even with insurance..I am a maid..and one illness can put me in dept for months...not to mention the strain it puts on my body..my husband is ill with diabetes and dementia...I sure do not want to bring home germs..I even keep hand sanitizer in my car and in my purse...I use it often..I have not been sick in 5 years...other than some strains from over working..I don't have time to be sick..I am sure there are many others who touch the produce long before it ever gets on the shelf...but I have seen some of these clerks with runny noses, and coughing and sneezing all over your items...I am not gonna put up with that...PERIOD...I will walk out and leave everything at the counter before I bring it home with snot on it...LOL ..I KNOW I am a bit peculiar, I am not looking for approval from anyone...no one pays my bills for me..or helps me when I am sick..or hurt....or pays for my meds but me....and no one does the suffering for me if I catch someone else BUG .....so while I am alive...I work hard and try to give excellence on my job...so I expect it..from others who do there job...till then...it is my life..and I will live it...H E A L T H Y as I can...it is hard enough taking care of someone with dementia and diabetes...try doing it sick...and if they get sick....!

Just a thought 1953sherry, I hear you on what you do to take care of yourself, but their are many many clerks, people touching your foods before you even get to the checkout, LOL. I think we can literally drive ourselves up the wall with it could be this, it could be that. I say, just do the best you can and stop worrying, that will cause more harm than fish, lipitor or the numerous other worries out there in Dr. Oz land, or is that Oprah land.

I don't know. But I'm with you, I stopped the statins over a year ago, they scare the heck out off me.

twopups, is there still mercury in the shots? I was going to go get one and my husband gets then yearly as he has asthma. My Mom never had one until she was too incompetent to know and I had the dr give her one. she did everything right in life, except the dam statins and antidepressants. My cholesterol is 260 and I am afraid to take them, argh.

" dumbass " runs rampant in my family and ancestors. then theres my three eyed sister, triclops. i think were regressing on the evolution chart.

I never get a flu shot...I do everything the old fashioned way with some hand sanitizer thrown in....and never get sick..I peel a onion put it in the house to collect germs and bacteria..I take vitamin C, take lots of B12, and other multi- vitamins....I keep my feet warm...heavy socks and thick bedroom fur lined booties..keep things CLEAN and disinfected...keep my bathroom sanitary ...change my tooth brush often and rinse it in peroxide ...When I grocery shop, I put every veggie in a bag...because I do not want the CLERKS touching my foods...I also check all the clerks..if they are SICK, sneezing or even look sick..I will wait in a longer line...If the place I put my groceries is a MESS I will tell them to wipe it off...before I put my groceries on it...I do not need germs...I shop on OFF DAYS when I Know there is not a crowd at the stores..NO WEEKENDS for me...WHO has time for being SICK?

something else to think about...According to Hugh Fudenberg, MD, the world's leading immunogeneticist and 13th most quoted biologist of our times: If an individual has had 5 consecutive flu shots between 1970 and 1980 (the years studied)his/her chances of getting Alzheimer's Disease is 10 times higher than if he/she had one, 2 or no shots. Dr. Fudenberg said it … was due to mercury and aluminum that is in every flu shot.


if you google Seneff MIT, her published papers get right to the point of Aluminum, Statins, wheat, and the effects on us leading to Alzheimers

I didn't know there was a stage 7, my mom had it since year 2000 and she is 83 now. I know its pretty near the last stage but not exactly. My aunt got dementia early & 2 of my uncles, all on my mom side of family. I hope I don't get it. Also my mom has Parkinson's too but thank God she still can get around with use of a walker with help and I cannot and will not just let her be still and do nothing. That is the worst thing a caregiver can do is to let their parent with this disease is to do nothing. They will go down very fast soon. I will say to anybody ...as long as they can MOVE or get around , keep them that way. Keep them out of that BED ! If they do get down get them back to basic as soon as you can before they lose it. Once it's gone , it's gone. Doctors had given up on my mom one time, we like to have lost her but I insisted that she keep moving. FAMILY plays a big role in Alz. recovery, I know this for a fact. Don't isolate them, keep them around people at least it works for me. It's hard , of course it is hard but God is giving me the strength to carry on so when it all done....well, at least I can say I've done my part. I better stop right here because I can write a book , I learn something from this just about everyday..mom can't call my name but I know how to get inside of her, we communicate through our eyes,grimaces, facial expressions, touch, tone of voice and I can go on but I swear it works. I truly hope one day there will be a cure soon, this is hell on a caregiver when you don't have much help but hey..that's my mom and I will take care of her as long as I'm able. That's a fact !

PamZ, they (FDA) have returned to the 200 level as normal. 140 was a ridiculously low number. They also don't want patients taking more than 20mg per day. This will get a lot of patients off statins, but the damage is already done! Neurons need cholesterol to properly function. That's a fact.

I am sure he is/was. I don't seem to know many people over 50 who are not on some form of it! The drug companies keep lowering the cholesterol numbers to see more meds!! I used to be "normal" at 200..not any more!!

pstiegman , thank you for that info. I cant believe they are now recommending it to even more people. I am afraid of it even though I need it. The dr tries to tell me it will help prevent dementia. My gut tells me different! Maybe I am wrong but I am too afraid to take it. I wish I knew how many alz patients on this site did/did not take statins. thanks again

web site spacedoc to read

Lipitor Thief of Memory

reverseroles: The FDA just passed a rule that statin drugs must carry a warning label that includes possible memory loss and high blood sugar. They finally woke up and smell the coffee.

Pam...did your Dad take statins at all? Dr Oz had on a neurologist who said alz is cause from carbs and just wrote a book on it. Its called grain brain. If you go on amazon and look at the lipitor books, you will see another dr who wrote a book on it . its called lipitor ; robbing the brain, or something like that. scary!

I am more inclined to use real butter in moderation, whole milk as opposed 2-1%. I really think using all these artificial dietary low fat, low cholesterol foods are a big part of the problem. Of course, I realize that certain health issues forces us to use artificial sweetners, etc. If possible, exercise is vital part of all of it.

Red yeast rice has been known to cause rashes with some people. My mom took cholestoff and non flushing niacin. It does work at lowering cholesterol but it does not raise the good cholesterol...raising the good cholesterol is very important too.

Does anyone know about coconut oil. I have been hearing that it can be protective of the brain. Dad does seem better using Earthbalance Coconut Spread instead of Smart Balance.
And yes, I think Red Yeast Rice works well for me. Look on Dr. Andrew Weil's web site for information on this.

I had not heard that statins could play a role in this disease. Do any of you have any info on this? I had read about women and hormone replacement therapy but never statins. Thanks

I wish America would wake up and stop letting the current health caregivers tell us "we just don't know what is causing this". I know what is causing it, it's Mercury in our brains!!! The reason Irish people have a higher prevalence is the same reason why they have higher rates of celiac disease, etc. It is because genetically Northern Europeans don't shed their heavy metals due to a gene that doesn't let them...APOE4 and 5....please wake up everyone...pollution and mercury in shot (thimerisol) and as a preservative in wheat, etc. is causing this. Tell your congressman or woman to stop the doctors and big pharma from keeping the truth from us, they're making billions off of Americans staying sick! Wake up!!

Thanks, PS! One more thing to worry about! Well, at least that's one more excuse to stay inside with my books and my computer. No, wait, that's bad for my heart!

Here is a quote from www.miklossy.ch ,
“Those who were analyzing all types of spirochetes including or periodontal pathogen Treponemas, which are expected to be frequent candidates (Miklossy, 1993; Riviere et al, 2004) detected spirochetes in more than 97% of the Alzheimer’s cases analyzed.
Lyme Disease is a spirochete, should never be ignored because there are long term effects of de-myelination. A friend of mine died from ALS after contracting Lyme Disease. Never ignore a little bug bite.

My father is the only one in our extended (and large) family we know to have gotten ALZ. BUT people did not used to live as long as we do today, so who can say? I'm keeping my fingers crossed! My hubbys grandfather was 100 and sharp as a tack, his dad is going strong (pretty much) mentaly at 90.. but MIL is getting "slippy"

My Husband, Leo, Was an ordnance worker on the Navy base, he was exposed to gun powder, depleted uranium, asbestos, and many other chemicals..he cleaned HUGE GUN barrels..Service weapons..Army, Navy, ect...as he spent time in the service and learned the trade he became a firing officer and still worked in Ordnance..he used to come home smelling like Gun powder...since he was a red neck..he did not take his clothes off and wash them right away...we would all have dinner he would pick up his children and feed them off his lap...At that time there was no Standard operating procedure..but it did come later ...so it is hard to say...what is inherited, what is from the job and what is from how we lived..and ate..I was young..in a hurry to work, raise my kids, get dinner on the table, ..go to work..I had 3 jobs back then and Time was of the essence...NOW we are old..falling apart..and Would like to find some youth in the bottle..that is not going to happen..all we can do now...is live the best life we can...