Print friendly version
Alzheimer disease type 2
Other Names for this Disease
- AD2
- Alzheimer disease associated with APOE E4
- Late onset Alzheimer disease
- Late onset familial Alzheimer disease
- LOFAD
See Disclaimer regarding information on this site. Some links on this page may take you to organizations outside of the National Institutes of Health.
Overview
Alzheimer disease is a degenerative disease of the brain that causes gradual loss of memory, judgment, and ability to function socially. Alzheimer disease currently affects about 5 million people.[1] About 75 percent of Alzheimer disease cases are classified as sporadic, which means they occur in people with no history of the disorder in their family. Although the cause of these cases is unknown, genetic changes are likely to play a role. Virtually all sporadic Alzheimer disease begins after age 65, and the risk of developing this condition increases as a person gets older.
The remaining cases of Alzheimer disease are familial, which means they are found in multiple members of a family. Familial Alzheimer disease can be divided into early-onset disease (symptoms begin before age 65) and late-onset disease (symptoms begin after age 65).[2]
References
- Alzheimer Disease. Genetic Home Reference. http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=alzheimerdisease. Accessed January 18, 2008.
- Alzheimer's Facts and Figures. Alzheimer's association. http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_facts_figures.asp. Accessed January 18, 2008.
Your Questions Answered
by the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center1 question(s) from the public on Alzheimer disease type 2 have been answered. See questions and answers. You can also submit a new question.
General Information
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has developed a fact sheet on Alzheimer's disease. To view this fact sheet, click on the link below.
Link: http://www.nih.gov/about/researchresultsforthepublic/AlzheimersDisease.pdf - PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Alzheimer disease type 2. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.
- The The Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database contains genetics resources that discuss Alzheimer disease type 2. Click on the link to go to OMIM and review these resources.
Press Releases
- NIH News: Scientists Report Important Step in Biomarker Testing for Alzheimer's Disease. National Institute on Aging (NIA). March 17, 2009.
Diagrams/Images
- Learn how Alzheimer's disease affects the brain through the Alzheimer's Association's interactive Brain Tour
Insurance Issues
- The Social Security Administration has included this condition in their Compassionate Allowances Initiative. This initiative speeds up the processing of disability claims for applicants with certain medical conditions that cause severe disability. More information about Compassionate Allowances and applying for Social Security disability is available online.
Resources for Kids
- The Alzherimer's Association provides videos and information to help kids and teens deal with the emotions and reactions that are common when a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Click on Alzheimer's Association to view these resources.