A husband and wife both having AD?

MandJB1999

Registered User
Aug 24, 2006
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Does anyone know the odds of a husband and wife both developing AD?

My grandfather-in-law was diagnosed about 2 years ago. Now his wife, my grandmother-in-law, has also been diagnosed. He is in his 75 and she is 69. Some of the family has started to wonder if there might be an environmental factor to them both developing AD. He was in the U.S. Army and retired from a car manufacturing plant. She was a homemaker. Does anyone know of any environmental factors that could have affected both of them?

Thank you for your time!
 

Brucie

Registered User
Jan 31, 2004
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near London
Does anyone know the odds of a husband and wife both developing AD?
I'm no expert but the odds will be finite rather than infinite, because we have already had members of Talking Point in that situation.

It seems to be very unusual however, and at least one link - the genetic one - can be ruled out.

Sometimes doctors use AD as a catch-all name for dementia - are both people definitely AD, or is there any vasular or other possibility?
 

alfjess

Registered User
Jul 10, 2006
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south lanarkshire
Hi
Both my Mum and Dad have AD. Dad was diagnosed with AD, but Mum who wouldn't complete the mmse was diagnosed Dementia probably AD type.
As far as I can tell they have had it for approx the same length of time as each other. I have also wondered about enviromental factors.
Alfjess
 

Lila13

Registered User
Feb 24, 2006
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Wouldn't the odds be 1:400 for the 65-79 age group and 1:25 for the 80+ age group? but I think all those stats are highly suspect as so many people don't get diagnosed.

You have to have an awful lot of data to prove environmental connections.
 

MandJB1999

Registered User
Aug 24, 2006
6
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My grandfather-in-law was diagnosed roughly 2 years ago. Tests were run and the doctors felt that was what he had. He seems to have quite a few of the symptoms. He sometimes forgets who people are (including his wife and children), he has been unable to do things he used to enjoy (like he can't remember how to start the lawnmower and he can no longer play his guitar) and he also forgets how to do every day things (he can't remember how to fix a meal and recently has had trouble remembering how to use the bathroom), he has had moments of fear (one time he couldn't remember his wife and was convinced that she had kidmapped him)... actually looking at the list of warning signs on the Alzheimer's Association's website and he has most if not all of the signs.

My grandmother-in-law has been showing signs only more recently. She will tell you the same thing repeatedly and never remember telling you. My mother-in-law has taken my son to visit them and my grandmother-in-law will have no memory of of them visiting; she will then get very angry when you try to explain that there had just been a visit recently and that she's not remembering it. She got lost driving to visit my mother-in-law. There have been a few cases of possible decreased judgement, including when last year she decided to buy a house; she saw a house for sale and knocked on the door and gave the owners a cash downpayment without even getting their names, let alone any proof of the deposit. It took much work to get her to the doctor (she avoids going) and all but one test has come back and the doctor feels that she also has AD.

Thank you for the possible odds. I figured that it is very unlikely that a husband and wife would both develope the disease but of course still be completely possible. I would like to look into both of their family histories to find any other possible cases. You have all been wonderful. I am planning on encouraging my mother-in-law to join this group. The last 2 years have ben difficult for her and I know that now it will only be harder. I think that she could be benefited greatly by having others that are going through this to talk with and learn from.
 

Helena

Registered User
May 24, 2006
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I am afraid I believe there are Environmental factors which over a lifetime build to trigger AD

I think the effects of the poisoning in Camelford are a case in point along with other things that are poisons/damaging to the neurological system

Theres just too big a co incidence between the huge rise in cases of AD with the huge rise in the use of all kinds of environmental poisons in food and water
 

Lila13

Registered User
Feb 24, 2006
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If someone in a family has been diagnosed, others, spouses, relations, close friends, are probably more likely to get diagnosed too, as people will be watching out for similar symptoms in themselves and others.

Lila
 

Nebiroth

Registered User
Aug 20, 2006
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For myself, I believe that the rise in cases is because people are now living longer - the chances of developing AD rise as you get older. Also, it is possible that with elders no longer living with their families then perhaps more are falling under health and social services, whereas in the past they could well have just been the "forgetful eccentric" who was silently cared for by family and never saw a doctor, let alone got any formal dianosis. Also there are probably more people increasing their risk of vascular dementia through unhealthy lifestyles.

It is my personal belief that a really significant environmental factor would have been found by now.
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
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I agree with Brucie - improved health care and diagnosis doesn't explain the rise in early onset AD. Vascular dementia - well I do think that people who would have died from heart attacks and the like are living to ages that would have been unheard of even 50 years ago. My own Mother has been on anti-hypertensive medications for that last 35 years, but her first episode of high blood preessure almost killed her - I cannot believe that without medication she would have lasted this long.

Also, I'm not sure that lifestyles are any more unhealthy now than they were decades ago. Cerainly less people smoke, or eat large quantities of animal fats. Stress is higher though. The poplulation is larger, of course, so case numbers would rise anyway. Even decreased infant and child mortality could have a knock-on effect - a percentage of those who go on to develope dementia would statistically not have survived to adulthood.

Jennifer
 

Lila13

Registered User
Feb 24, 2006
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I expect lots of people hushed up family members of any age with dementia or similar conditions because they might be taken off to the workhouse and that would be regarded as shameful. I remember some of my parents' neighbours keeping people locked up, they thought there was no choice. I don't believe we have enough statistics going back a few years, to know whether percentages are really increasing. And even now I don't think we really know how many cases are never diagnosed. If my mother had died 3 weeks earlier she wouldn't have been diagnosed.