’Toss of a coin’ if I’d inherit dementia gene
Laura Sides’ family is plagued by a rare Alzheimer’s gene - and it's "the toss of a coin" if she has it too. Would you take the test, or live without knowing the truth?
Imagine being told that you had a 50/50 chance of inheriting early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
Would you take a test to find out? Or continue to live your life not knowing?
Ìý
That’sÌýthe situation that faced Laura Sides. SheÌýbegan to noticeÌýstrange changes in her father’s behaviour when she was at university - and soon learned that he had an incredibly rare form of Alzheimer’s – making up just 1% in the world. Not only that, but it was, in her words, “a toss of a coin" whether she had it too.Ìý
Laura tells Dr Sian Williams how she coped with her father’s illness, whilst also deciding whether to discover her own fate.Ìý
Producer: Sarah Shebbeare
On radio
Broadcasts
- Wed 4 Nov 2026 09:00Â鶹Éç Radio 4
- Fri 6 Nov 2026 16:30Â鶹Éç Radio 4
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Life Changing
Extraordinary stories of life's turning points.
