21year with new 4/4 results

Newcomer introductions, personal anecdotes, caregiver issues, lab results, and n=1 experimentation.
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michiens
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21year with new 4/4 results

Post by michiens »

Hi everyone,

I’m 21 years old and I just received my 23andme results.. with a heavy heart as soon as I opened the results. I am 4/4. I have Explored this forum some and I have read a few articles. I’m overwhelmed. There seems to be so many different outcomes for 4/4. I have celiac disease so I am already on a GF and mostly anti inflammatory diet, but am now working to cut out sugar. I am a weight lifter, but am trying to incorporate more aerobic exercise into my routine than I already am! I take magnesium, zinc, B complex, and fish oil supplements… but am probably going to expand that based on everything I’ve read. I feel fortunate to have found out at a young age to prevent what I can and have time for a medication to be discovered, but can’t seem to stop stressing about it. I still want to live my life but also want to do what I can in prevention!


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NF52
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Re: 21year with new 4/4 results

Post by NF52 »

michiens wrote:Hi everyone,

I’m 21 years old and I just received my 23andme results.. with a heavy heart as soon as I opened the results. I am 4/4. I have Explored this forum some and I have read a few articles. I’m overwhelmed. There seems to be so many different outcomes for 4/4. I have celiac disease so I am already on a GF and mostly anti inflammatory diet, but am now working to cut out sugar. I am a weight lifter, but am trying to incorporate more aerobic exercise into my routine than I already am! I take magnesium, zinc, B complex, and fish oil supplements… but am probably going to expand that based on everything I’ve read. I feel fortunate to have found out at a young age to prevent what I can and have time for a medication to be discovered, but can’t seem to stop stressing about it. I still want to live my life but also want to do what I can in prevention!
A warm welcome, "michiens" and a virtual hug, if that's okay, from someone who shares the same "special" 4/4 status and at age 69 is old enough to be your grandmother (although my grandkids are still in primary school). I know that heavy heart feeling after opening 23&me since I had it for a good long while after finding out my results more than 7 years ago. The difference is that I wasn't 21, I was 61--so while you are probably feeling your future has been written for you, I was feeling like my future was staring me in the face.

But here's what I can say at the age of 69: I have tested well within the normal range of cognition on lots of complex tests given since 2017 as a participant in clinical trials. I can still plan trips with all the logistics to new places using mobile apps, Apple Wallet, Google Maps and other skills I didn't have 7 years ago. I've been a Consumer Reviewer of grant applications on Alzheimer's disease for 4 years and have trained new reviewers on both how to write critiques and how to use unfamiliar software in Zoom meetings. (I also help train our interns for this forum on our clunky software!) I am not some outlier--I know women and men in their 60's and 70's with ApoE 4/4 who have recently been or still are teaching at the college level, working with refugees, serving as treasurers of community organizations, acting as ombudspersons for assisted living centers and winning bridge tournaments.

We're not perfect or special in our ability to be healthy as 4/4s. In fact, I recently heard a biostatistician say that she finds the "outliers" in any group of data to be the most interesting to study--the people who are fine, even if they do have amyloid in their brains. Here's a quote from a large meta-analysis of population studies (which draw on "normal" people--not just people who arrive at memory clinics to be tested:
In this study, cumulative exposure to reserve-enhancing factors over the lifespan was associated with reduced risk of dementia in late life, even among individuals with genetic predisposition... it is never too late to initiate interventions aimed at risk modifying, since late-life engagement in stimulating activities was associated with a lower risk of dementia...the most effective strategies are likely to be those emphasizing risk reduction throughout the entire life course.
Association of lifelong exposure to cognitive reserve-enhancing factors with dementia risk: A community-based cohort study

Here are some resources to help you use this forum:
The Primer is written by Stavia, a practicing M.D. with ApoE4/4. It's a great place to see some strategies that you can consider--and she also recommends not trying to re-tool your entire life at once!

The How-To Guide shows how to quote members (use the " icon in the upper right of any post) so they get an email notification of your post. It also shows how to use the Search function for topics, and how to subscribe to topics of interest.

Here's a link pulled from our Wiki on Research, with a 2018 article on strategies for LOAD prevention in ApoE 4 carriers from Dr. Richard Isaacson, the Director of the Alzheimer's Prevention Program at Cornell Weill Medical Center in NYC: Clinical Application of APOE in Alzheimer’s Prevention: A Precision Medicine Approach Here's his top recommendation from the article:

Physical activity
A systematic review of 16 prospective studies concluded that physical activity decreased the risk of developing AD by 45%
Physically active ε4 carriers had an OR [odds ratio risk of Alzheimer's] of 2.30 and sedentary ε4 carriers had an OR of 5.53
Aerobic activity was associated with greater cognitive performance for ε4 carriers compared to non-carriers).
Sedentary individuals who were ε4 carriers had significantly higher levels of brain Aβ and lower levels of CSF Aβ42 compared to sedentary non-carriers, findings associated with AD pathology
...The findings also suggest that physical activity may prevent Aβ accumulation that occurs in the brains of ε4 carriers before clinical symptoms of AD even become apparent
You're doing an amazing job with your knowledge of your health needs already! Remind yourself every day that your brain is ready to take on this challenge and science has decades to accelerate the already rapid pace of discoveries to write the story of your future any way you want!
4/4 and still an optimist!
SBee
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Re: 21year with new 4/4 results

Post by SBee »

michiens wrote:Hi everyone,

I’m 21 years old and I just received my 23andme results.. with a heavy heart as soon as I opened the results. I am 4/4. I have Explored this forum some and I have read a few articles. I’m overwhelmed. There seems to be so many different outcomes for 4/4. I have celiac disease so I am already on a GF and mostly anti inflammatory diet, but am now working to cut out sugar. I am a weight lifter, but am trying to incorporate more aerobic exercise into my routine than I already am! I take magnesium, zinc, B complex, and fish oil supplements… but am probably going to expand that based on everything I’ve read. I feel fortunate to have found out at a young age to prevent what I can and have time for a medication to be discovered, but can’t seem to stop stressing about it. I still want to live my life but also want to do what I can in prevention!


NF52 wrote:Here are some resources to help you use this forum:
The Primer is written by Stavia, a practicing M.D. with ApoE4/4. It's a great place to see some strategies that you can consider--and she also recommends not trying to re-tool your entire life at once!

The How-To Guide shows how to quote members (use the " icon in the upper right of any post) so they get an email notification of your post. It also shows how to use the Search function for topics, and how to subscribe to topics of interest.

Here's a link pulled from our Wiki on Research, with a 2018 article on strategies for LOAD prevention in ApoE 4 carriers from Dr. Richard Isaacson, the Director of the Alzheimer's Prevention Program at Cornell Weill Medical Center in NYC: Clinical Application of APOE in Alzheimer’s Prevention: A Precision Medicine Approach Here's his top recommendation from the article:

Physical activity
A systematic review of 16 prospective studies concluded that physical activity decreased the risk of developing AD by 45%
Physically active ε4 carriers had an OR [odds ratio risk of Alzheimer's] of 2.30 and sedentary ε4 carriers had an OR of 5.53
Aerobic activity was associated with greater cognitive performance for ε4 carriers compared to non-carriers).
Sedentary individuals who were ε4 carriers had significantly higher levels of brain Aβ and lower levels of CSF Aβ42 compared to sedentary non-carriers, findings associated with AD pathology
...The findings also suggest that physical activity may prevent Aβ accumulation that occurs in the brains of ε4 carriers before clinical symptoms of AD even become apparent

Welcome michiens!
I just wanted to echo a very warm welcome to you!
It is fabulous to see how much you have already been doing to navigate a pathway for optimal health! The fact that you have this awareness at your age is truly remarkable and will serve you well as you continue your health journey.
As "NF52" mentioned, taking it a step at a time will help manage the overwhelm, and the resources that have been shared will offer helpful ways to navigate the site and engage in conversation with others.
Please reach out if you have any additional questions. The members of this site are very knowledgeable about various topics and will be truly happy to support you!
Warmly,
Sue
SBee
ApoE2/4
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach
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