Many people with dementia are concerned that their disease may have been inherited and that they may pass it on to their children. Family members of people with dementia are sometimes concerned that they might be more likely to develop dementia themselves. Genes do play some role in the development of dementia, but their specific effects vary considerably.A number of genes have been implicated in the onset of DAT. Studies of familial early-onset DAT, which accounts for less than 1% of all DAT cases, have identified mutations in three genes that account for up to 50% of such cases.If a parent has dementia, their illness is most likely due to a combination of many genes working together with lifestyle factors. It is unlikely that the child of this parent would inherit all the disease susceptibility genes, although the risk of disease is slightly increased compared to someone without a relative with dementia.The following resources outline the present state of knowledge about the inherited risk of dementia: