Genetic/Family Testing
There are many myths and misconceptions about how family history affects one’s risk of developing dementia. You may want to know how a family history of Alzheimer’s, the most common subtype of dementia, will affect your risk in your own lifetime.
You probably don’t get the opportunity to ask these questions during your busy clinic visits with your parent’s specialist, but the question is likely lingering in the back of your mind.
Family history is not very straightforward, but there is a very clear correlation. We know that if someone’s parent develops dementia in their 60s 70s 80s or beyond, it does increase their child’s individual risk of getting dementia. However, it is by no means guaranteed that they will get this condition in their lifetime.
While the risk is certainly increased, several factors will influence it over time. These include how many family members have developed dementia, what age they developed the dementia at, what type of dementia it was, and several other important things to consider.
What we want to do is to give you the best information possible to help you assess and analyze your risk and take appropriate measures to reduce your risk of developing dementia in the future.
Genetic testing for dementia can be considered controversial by some people. However, the only reason it is controversial is because people do not have the means or ability to counsel family members appropriately as to what a certain test result means for their individual risk. That’s where Deter Dementia can help you.
We can get you the right genetic tests done and then help you make sense of the results.
We believe it is everyone’s right to understand their own individual risk if you want to know. If you knew that your risk of tearing the ACL in your knee was 10x the average person’s risk, you may take up a different sport for your physical activity. Brain health and dementia risk is no different. If we know that our risk is significantly higher than most other people, we can choose to modify our lifestyle and our habits to help deter dementia and reduce our risk.
It is a complex topic, but we are here to help you make sense of it all, dispel the myths, and guide you through the maze of genetic testing out there.
Click below for more information on genetic testing and let us know if you want this done for yourself
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