Dementia care: Sleep disturbances, memory loss and difficulty planning are key early signs

Who carries a higher genetic risk of Alzheimer’s?

According to the Alzheimer’s Society (AS), in just over 600 families worldwide, studies reveal many close family members who are affected by Alzheimer’s disease across successive generations.

“This pattern of ‘familial clustering’ of Alzheimer’s disease suggests there is a mutation within a single gene that causes the disease,” explains the AS.

It adds: “In these cases, the mutation is being passed down in the DNA from parent to child, across several generations.”

If several of your family members have developed dementia over the generations, and particularly at a young age, you may want to seek genetic counselling for information and advice about your chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease when you’re older, advises the NHS.