Testing for me for ALZ

sweepmore

Mom has Alz.  I want to know what test are available for early screening for me.  Does anyone know?

M1

Hi Sweepmore and welcome to the forum.  The short answer is probably not much--screening is generally not recommended.  But it depends--there are more genetic associations for early onset Alzheimer's that late-onset, so part of the answer depends on the age at which your mother was diagnosed.  It also depends on how sure you are that it is in fact Alzheimer's and not another form of dementia (or mixed forms, which can coexist).

For Late-onset, there is one known well established genetic association for a gene called apolipoprotein A--but even this is a very mixed bag, and it's not encouraged to look for it.  

If you were going to pursue this at all it would probably be best done at a research center and in the context of a long-term research study.  These are not tests that most insurance would cover.

Worth a discussion with your doc about how to stay healthy in general--the same lifestyle factors that you hear encouraged for general cardiovascular health (good diet, exercise, etc.) also apply to Alzheimer's for the most part.