Alzheimer's risk is 'higher' if key member of your family has it

New research indicates that if your mother had Alzheimer's, you may be more likely to develop the disease compared to if your father was diagnosed with it.

However, the study also suggests that those whose fathers were diagnosed with Alzheimer's before the age of 65 also have a higher-than-average risk of developing the condition . The research examined the number of amyloid plaques in the brains of 4,400 adults without cognitive impairments, who were on average 70 years old.

The study, based in Massachusetts , found that test subjects with higher levels of amyloid plaques, protein build-ups thought to precede Alzheimer's , were more likely to have a family history of the disease on their mother's side. It was also found that people who had fathers diagnosed with Alzheimer's at 65 or younger had higher-than-average amyloid levels in their brains.

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Amyloid plaques are believed to cause Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia, by accumulating around neurons, disrupting connections between brain cells and eventually leading to their death. Amyloids are proteins that naturally occur in the body, but a specific type, known as beta-amyloid, can cluster around brain cells, impairing the organ's function.

It might take years for amyloids to accumulate enough to noticeably affect mental function. Research from Massachusetts speculated that mitochondria - the diminutive power stations inside our cells and inherited from our mothers - could explain why patients with dementia-inclined mothers could be at higher risk, reports the Mirror .

The researchers postulated that errors in the X chromosome, another inheritance solely from one's mother, also could be at fault. Fathers with a premature form of the disease potentially are especially genetically susceptible to Alzheimer's, thereby increasing their offspring's risk, according to the researchers.

"Our study found if participants had a family history on their mother's side, a higher amyloid level was observed," remarked Dr Hyun-Sik Yang, a neurologist at Mass General Brigham and the study leader.

"If your father had early onset symptoms, that is associated with elevated levels in the offspring," contributed Neurologist Dr Mabel Seto, a co-author of the research. The team employed data from the Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer's (A4) study, using brain scans from subjects in the US, Europe, and Japan taken between April 2014 and December 2017.

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The levels of amyloid found were compared with the participant's family history of Alzheimer's to produce these new findings. However, the study did not follow up on the participants to see who eventually developed the disease.

Alzheimer's disease affects as many as 7 million Americans and is the seventh leading cause of death in the US. Those with a family history of the disease are two to four times more likely to develop it, but this research is the first to highlight a difference depending on whether the history is maternal or paternal.

With an aging population and increasingly unhealthy lifestyles, the number of cases is expected to skyrocket to an estimated 12.7 million sufferers by 2050 unless effective treatment is found.

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