Looking at your genes for Alzheimer’s risk
Would you want to know if you carried the gene that puts you at risk for late-onset Alzheimer's disease? Well, now a company called Smart Genetics offers a test that evaluates a number of Alzheimer's risk factors, including three APOE alleles, strong genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease.
Response From: Marie
This is pretty interesting Felisha, I had no idea a genetic test was out there for Alzheimer's!
As a child, I saw a number of our family friends caring for a parent with Alzheimer's and it was a pretty sobering thing to learn about as a fourth grader.
My own great-grandmother had Alzheimers for many years and I know we are all concerned to see if other family members get it as they age.
That being said, I don't think I'd want to know if I was genetically predisposed to it. What can you do? I would just worry about it.
I can understand, however, that it might be helpful for people that are older than I am. Knowing if you're at risk for late-onset Alzheimer's would probably be useful when you're looking seriously at retirement. I was reading about a study in Health Populi a few weeks ago that said the amount of money an individual would need in order to retire today and cover their health care expenses is $225,000. That's just to cover health care costs after retirement, and it doesn't include long-term care.
Given that number, I can see how knowing your risk of any long-term illness, especially an illness like Alzheimer's which does require such long-term care, would be relevant and helpful!
Response From: Paula
Felisha and Marie,
This is an interesting question. I also have a family history of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. What is really striking about this is that normally I would want to know, but in this case I don't think I would. Alzheimer's isn't curable and after personally watching someone live and die with Alzheimer's I'm not so sure I would want to know ahead of time that I had a high probability of ending up with this awful disease.
There are some other tests for cancer that I might be more willing to take as there are treatments and you can be proactive in finding the cancer as early as possible hopefully increasing your chances of survival. With Alzheimer's and its lack of treatments or a cure I feel like I would be living my life in dread, and I personally don't want to live even a day of my life like that.
A tough question to be sure, but in my case I wouldn't want to know.
Response From: Marie
This is pretty interesting Felisha, I had no idea a genetic test was out there for Alzheimer's!
As a child, I saw a number of our family friends caring for a parent with Alzheimer's and it was a pretty sobering thing to learn about as a fourth grader.
My own great-grandmother had Alzheimers for many years and I know we are all concerned to see if other family members get it as they age.
That being said, I don't think I'd want to know if I was genetically predisposed to it. What can you do? I would just worry about it.
I can understand, however, that it might be helpful for people that are older than I am. Knowing if you're at risk for late-onset Alzheimer's would probably be useful when you're looking seriously at retirement. I was reading about a study in Health Populi a few weeks ago that said the amount of money an individual would need in order to retire today and cover their health care expenses is $225,000. That's just to cover health care costs after retirement, and it doesn't include long-term care.
Given that number, I can see how knowing your risk of any long-term illness, especially an illness like Alzheimer's which does require such long-term care, would be relevant and helpful!
Response From: Paula
Felisha and Marie,
This is an interesting question. I also have a family history of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. What is really striking about this is that normally I would want to know, but in this case I don't think I would. Alzheimer's isn't curable and after personally watching someone live and die with Alzheimer's I'm not so sure I would want to know ahead of time that I had a high probability of ending up with this awful disease.
There are some other tests for cancer that I might be more willing to take as there are treatments and you can be proactive in finding the cancer as early as possible hopefully increasing your chances of survival. With Alzheimer's and its lack of treatments or a cure I feel like I would be living my life in dread, and I personally don't want to live even a day of my life like that.
A tough question to be sure, but in my case I wouldn't want to know.
© 2009 Created by Marie
