To What Extent Is Alzheimer s Disease Hereditary

Abstract: This investigation studies the question: To what extent is Alzheimer’s disease hereditary? To come to a conclusion, seven pieces of research were analyzed regarding their implications on the genetic and environmental factors impacting the etiology of Alzheimer’s. Specifically, four genetic factors were evaluated: the influence of Beta Amyloid Plaques, alcohol dehydrogenase in relation to mitochondrial function, specific Loci, and a twin study to determine relative heritability. The results of these studies indicate a high degree of heritability and genetic factors in Alzheimer’s disease with recognition, to a certain extent, of the relative influence of environmental factors. Thus, the impact of environmental factors was also explored. The influence of epigenetic factors, physical activity, and environmental enrichment were evaluated through analysis of correlational studies and a lab experiment. The results of this research generally indicated that env ironmental factors can play a role as a preventative measure of developing the disease. There is suggestion that the genetic risk of developing Alzheimer’s can be lessened through environmental enrichment or physical activity. However, the research lacks definitive evidence that environmental factors can completely diminish the heritability of the disease across populations. On the other hand, the investigation of the apolipoprotein genome, the identification of specific loci, the role of alcohol dehydrogenase