Yes, but it depends! It depends on what you mean by "dementia". As we have explained in previous blogs, most cases of dementia in people over the age of 65 are caused by Alzheimer's disease. There are 2 types of Alzheimer's disease; "sporadic" Alzheimer's disease and "familial" Alzheimer's disease. The vast majority of cases of Alzheimer's disease are the sporadic type, and having a "first degree relative" (e.g. parent or sibling) with the disease, increases your risk of developing the illness by 2-3 times compared to someone your age that doesn't have a relative with the illness. But "familial" Alzheimer's disease is even worse - if you have a parent with the illness, your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease is 50% . The good news here is that familial Alzheimer's disease is exceedingly rare - only 1-2 % of all cases of Alzheimer's disease. Unfortunately, the risks for other types of dementia, like vascular dementia (dementia due to strokes and cerebrovascular disease) and frontotemporal dementia are also elevated for many family members. While we cannot do anything about our genetics, we can all certainly attempt to lead "brain healthy" lifestyles to delay the onset and reduce the risk of developing dementia as we age.
Professor Nathan Herrmann
Nathan Herrmann MD FRCPC
Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Lewar Chair in Geriatric Psychiatry
Head, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
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