Alzheimer's disease is a fatal progressive atrophy that affects millions of people around the world. Alzheimer's disease, also called AD, accounts for 70% of diagnosed dementia cases. Two significant reasons related to the development of AD are genetic influences and lifestyle/environmental factors, while two of its main effects are nerve cell death and tissue loss within the brain, as well as interference in the patient's daily life. One of the main causes for Alzheimer's is the genetic component related to family bloodlines. Genes manipulate the function of every cell in our body, including basic characteristics and the potential for disease. Genes that determine the potential development of the disease may make someone more likely to develop Alzheimer's. The gene associated with AD is called apolipoprotein E, also known as APOE; There are three different types of APOE, but only one has been shown to increase the risk of AD, called APOE e4. Each of us will inherit an APOE from our mothers and fathers, having even just one APOE e4 gene increases the risk of developing AD. If a patient has two APOE e4 genes, the risk is even greater. In an article entitled The genetic dose of the apolipoprotein E type 4 allele and the risk of Alzheimer's disease in late-onset families, the authors Corder, Saunders, Strittmatter, Schmechel, Gaskell, Small, Roses, Haines, Pericak- Vance (1993) state: “The apolipoprotein E type 4 (APOE-epsilon 4) allele is genetically associated with the common familial and late-onset sporadic forms of Alzheimer's disease (AD).” (p. 921) APOE e4 gene was identified a long time ago and its association with AD is an important risk that I believe should be taken into consideration by potential parents document ......ders, A., Strittmatter, W., Schmechel, D., Gaskell, P., Small, G., et al. (1993). 4 and risk of late-onset Alzheimer's disease in families. Science, 261(5123), 921-923.Pope, SK, Shue, VM, & Beck, C. (2003). ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE?. Annual Public Health Review, 24, 111-113.Lassmann, H., Bancher, C., Breitschopf, H., Wegiel, J., Bobinski, M., Jellinger, K., et al. (1995). Cell death in Alzheimer's disease assessed by in situ DNA fragmentation. Acta Neuropathologica, 89(1), 35-41. Mckhann, G., Drachman, D., Folstein, M., Katzman, R., Price, D., & Stadlan, E. M. (1984). Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease: report of the NINCDS-ADRDA* working group under the auspices of the Alzheimer's disease task force of the Department of Health and Human Services. Neurology, 34(7), 939-944.