You should get yourself tested just to be sure.   I understand that there
are tests now that can reveal a tendency even before it presents itself in
more visible ways.   Take care of your brain health.   Get Dr. Daniel Amen's
book on brain health.   He claims to be able to stave alzheimers disease off
for years with proper supplements, exercise, and other tactics, but insists
that all this must be started VERY early to be effective.   Keep on
learning.   Keep on reading.   Keep physically and mentally active.   Take
the right vitamins that support brain health like Fish Oil and L-Carnetine.

Too much blood, or actually, too many red blood cells, can put you at
risk for blood clots.  Ask your doctor if frequent, ie: every 8 weeks,
blood donations will help.  Even if for some reason they can not use
your blood for someone else, if the doctors prescribe it, they will
take a pint, and discard it.  Also, you might be a candidate for
"blood thinners" such as Coumidin or a daily aspirin, which would
decrease the clot risk.

Bev

Bev

I'd worry a whole lot less about whether AD is inheritable, and a
whole lot more about your very poorly controlled Type II diabetes. You
wouldn't have neuropathy if it was being adequately managed. That is
what is going to make you susceptible to many evils - strokes, heart
attacks, and yes, increased risk of dementia.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-and-alzheimers/AZ00050

Your raised red blood count can be caused by a range of things,
including obesity, fluid loss, diuretics, smoking, high blood
pressure, alcohol, kidney disease and stress - and a whole range of
other things - even sleep apnea. Having polycythemia (too many red
blood cells) also raises your risk of stroke - essentially because
your blood gets sludgy.

My dad had it, and actually had to be bled frequently to keep it under
control. It was NOT from excess iron (he did not have
hemochromatosis). It was from his obesity (he weighed over 320) and
from liver disease. He was gone at 63 from a catastrophic brain event
(we're not sure if it was a stroke or an aneurism). His death was
squarely due to lifestyle.

You can't do much about your genes but you can do a whole lot to help
yourself.. Granma was right - exercise, keep your weight down, don't
smoke, drink very lightly, eat healthy, get lots of rest, eat lots of
fruit and vegs, and avoid stress. The day you've got tick marks
against all those things is the day you can start fretting about
anything else.

M