Family history of dementia does not influence the progression of Alzheimer's disease at two years: results from the REAL.FR Study.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a family history of dementia in a first-degree relative influenced the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) after two years of follow-up. Patients were recruited in the REAL.FR (Réseau sur la Maladie d'Alzheimer Français) study and underwent behavioral, global, nutritional, and medical evaluation with assessment of cognitive function and independence every six months. At inclusion, 113 patients reported a family history of dementia, and 358 patients had no family history of dementia. There was no statistical difference for any factors between the two groups at baseline. After two years of follow-up, a similar percentage of patients were still followed in each group, and although most parameters showed significant deterioration, there was no difference between the two groups, indicating that a family history of dementia does not appear to influence the progression of AD.