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I just received word from my brother-in-law that my older sister was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She is only 66! I do not know much about the disease, but from what I have heard when it gets diagnosed late in life (such as 80+), it is not thought to be hereditary, but early onset Alzheimer’s is? Nobody else in our family has had it.

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Thank you all for your support and kindness. She does not live close by so I am getting everything I know about this over the phone. The last time I saw was Christmas and nothing seemed off then. But her husband and my nieces say that it has just been very recent that they started noticing differences in her. Started off a couple of months ago with frequently forgotten plans or lost car keys, but then rapidly progressed to where she started having trouble with her job and also even got lost on her way to and from work. Brother-in-law took her to a neurologist where she was just diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. That is about all I know. I was just told Thursday and I am very shocked and still trying to process it.
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ALZ runs in Dads family. His Mom was one of 3 girls. His Mom and one Aunt had ALZ. The Aunt had 2 boys and a girl. The boys passed early the girl lived into her 80s with ALZ. My Dad was one of 8 and 2 of them contracted it in mid 70s. One lived till 83 dying from pneumonia, my Aunt lived till 89 living in an AL/NH community for 12 years. So far, none of the siblings children have showed signs but none of us have reached our mid 70s when it seems to show its ugly head. So, I would say for my Dads family, ALZ id hereditary.
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daughterofagnes May 2022
My best friend's husband's mom, aunt, and grandmother all died of it. His mom and grandma were in their mid 50s when they died of it and his aunt was in her late 60s.
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Sad that she's having to give up her job - but shouldn't mean she has to stop working altogether, surely? Get on board with local support groups and help her find alternatives.
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Diagnosis in the 60s is, yes, early onset.
There is much information online, and the family will want to speak with the MD at some length and will want to research as much as they can.
Very sorry to hear of this diagnosis.
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Alzheimer's is not hereditary like diabetes or bipolar disorder. However, in early onset Alzheimer's there is evidence of a posible inherited mutated gene, mainly from the mother.
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Technically it's under 65, but 66 I'd call borderline - especially when you consider that time of diagnosis is not necessarily time of presentation.

I wouldn't panic about the rest of the family, if you were going to. There are just too many uncertainties about types of dementia, causes of the types, genetic vulnerabilities, environmental exposures, lifestyle, you name it.

How is she?
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daughterofagnes May 2022
She is doing ok. It is still very mild but its bad enough that she is having to retire from her job that she loved and planned to continue working for a couple of more years. Sad stuff!
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I am sorry to hear this for your sister, BIL, yourself - all the family.

According to Google searches "Younger onset dementia is used to describe any form of dementia that develops in people under the age of 65".
66, 65 - same to me.

Dementia dx under 60 has greater chance being linked to a family gene apparently (but siblings do not share all genes) & the chance is still low. Specifically with Alzheimer's Disease the rate is a whopping 99% not hereditary (per Dr Google).

Lifestyle & other health issues play a part apparently. Especially hx of strokes & other vascular diseases eg blocked arteries. Basically same as for risks for heart attack.

I've also heard lack of cutting social contact & hearing loss are both risk factors... Not sure if hearing loss causing less social life is why - so getting hearing aides & staying social may offset this.

Possibly poor sleep quality for many years also a risk.

So a healthy lifestyle seems to be the best prevention within our control.
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My friend's mom got it in her 50's. I heard of another person who was in his 40's. Some dementias are hereditary but you must inherit the gene, which is not a guarantee.
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Yes, I think 66 would be considered early onset. In my Dads family those who contracted ALZ got it in their mid 70s. It runs in my Dads family.
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