Many myths and half-truths surround dementia, and sometimes it’s hard to cut through the noise to find sensible and useful information. Here, Alzheimer’s Society’s head of knowledge Tim Beanland dispels some common preconceptions.
Dementia is passed down in the family
Directly inheriting a single gene that causes dementia is extremely rare. In a small number of cases, there is a genetic link – but these are only a tiny proportion of overall cases, and most cases of dementia are not passed down.
There are some genes that can increase the overall risk of having dementia. But there are also lifestyle changes a person can make to lower their risk.
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