Genetics, ethics, and Alzheimer disease

This article considers the emerging research on Alzheimer disease (AD) genetics in relation to ethical questions surrounding presymptomatic and prenatal genetic testing. Given the rapid advance in AD genetics over the past 8 years, it is likely that the attention of clinicians and ethicists will increasingly turn to genetic issues. After a survey of current genetic knowledge, this article addresses 3 areas of likely ethical concern. While AD genetic screening programs are currently rare and restricted to specific pedigrees, they will become more common in the future. It is, therefore, imperative that society and clinicians begin to consider the ethical issues this raises.