Newcomer

Newcomer introductions, personal anecdotes, caregiver issues, lab results, and n=1 experimentation.
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rique
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Newcomer

Post by rique »

Hi All,

My 23andme results indicated that I have two copies APOE-4. Some background on me:

I'm 63, and my doctors have wanted me on a statin since the 1990s when my total cholesterol was around 275, but I've refused. For the past 15 years, my total cholesterol has ranged between 300 and 400. My triglycerides are usually between 70-90. My recent LDL was 261. I've refused statins this entire time because I'm paranoid about them, and my doctors have all freaked out. My blood pressure is normal to pre-hypertension most of the time, but it can spike when I'm anxious. I walk every day between 1 and 3 miles. My blood pressure dips to below normal after a walk. I'm 5'3" and weigh 122 lbs.

There is heart disease in my family history, but I have no idea if my mother or father one or two copies of APOE-4. Both parents died of heart disease but lived to 95 and 89. Their heart disease originated from factors related to abnormal heart rhythm, very high blood pressure and rheumatic fever.

When I was in grade school and also through my early 40's, I had an exceptional memory, which was better than anyone that I met. In my 40's it started to wane somewhat, but when that happened, it was no worse than anyone else's. It seemed like the playing field was somewhat more even then. To this day, I still have great long-term memory skills. My short-term skills need improvement, though still better than most of the people with whom I have contact. My memory usually gives me at an advantage when I'm dealing with other people my age. I've also been highly analytical and paranoid with regard to many things my entire life. I'm surprised that I took the Covid-19 vaccine, but I felt that it would also protect others, so it was the moral thing to do.

I was a vegetarian from 1994 to 2007, around the time my cholesterol steadily crept up. I decided to bring meat back into my diet after that, but my cholesterol only became worse. I try very hard to eat a healthy diet, and I've eliminated a lot of problems foods for years, much to my chagrin. I drink a glass of red wine with dinner, but from what I understand that may be bad for 4/4's. I don't smoke now, but I did when I was younger for many years.

I know that there are differing opinions with regard to 4/4's taking statins. I also have the FOXO3 longevity gene, but I read somewhere that APOE-4 represses that gene. I noticed that the healthier I eat, the higher my cholesterol goes. And over the years, fish oil increases my cholesterol by at least 25 points. My cholesterol is higher when I'm the blood work is when I'm fasting as opposed to later in the day when I'm not.

I may have Osler-Weber-Rendu Syndrome as I have many talengiectasia on my arms, legs and face, but I've not been officially diagnosed. I do tend to bruise and bleed more than others.

If anyone sees some similarities with anything that I've written or can provide some information, I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks.
Last edited by rique on Thu Dec 09, 2021 7:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
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CindyM
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Location: Denver area

Re: Newcomer

Post by CindyM »

rique wrote:Hi All,

My 23andme results indicated that I have two copies APOE-4. Some background on me:

I'm 63, and my doctors have wanted me on a statin since the 1990s when my total cholesterol was around 275, but I've refused. For the past 15 years, my total cholesterol has ranged between 300 and 400. My triglycerides are usually between 70-90. My recent LDL was 261. I've refused statins this entire time because I'm paranoid about them, and my doctors have all freaked out. My blood pressure is normal to pre-hypertension most of the time, but it can spike when I'm anxious. I walk every day between 1 and 3 miles. My blood pressure dips to below normal after a walk. I'm 5'3" and weigh 122 lbs.

There is heart disease in my family history, but I have no idea if my mother or father had any copies of APOE-4. Both parents died of heart disease, but lived to 95 and 89. Their heart disease originated from factors related to abnormal heart rhythm, very high blood pressure and rheumatic fever.

When I was in grade school and also through my early 40's, I had an exceptional memory, which was better than anyone that I met. In my 40's it started to wane somewhat, but when that happened, it was no worse than anyone else's. It seemed like the playing field was somewhat more even then. To this day, I still have great long-term memory skills. My short-term skills need improvement, though still better than most of the people with whom I have contact. My memory usually gives me at an advantage when I'm dealing with other people my age. I've also been highly analytical and paranoid with regard to many things my entire life. I'm surprised that I took the Covid-19 vaccine, but I felt that it would also protect others, so it was the moral thing to do.

I was a vegetarian from 1994 to 2007, around the time my cholesterol steadily crept up. I decided to bring meat back into my diet after that, but my cholesterol only became worse. I try very hard to eat a healthy diet, and I've eliminated a lot of problems foods for years, much to my chagrin. I drink a glass of red wine with dinner, but from what I understand that may be bad for 4/4's. I don't smoke now, but I did when I was younger for many years.

I know that there are differing opinions with regard to 4/4's taking statins. I also have the FOXO3 longevity gene, but I read somewhere that APOE-4 represses that gene. I noticed that the healthier I eat, the higher my cholesterol goes. And over the years, fish oil increases my cholesterol by at least 25 points. My cholesterol is higher when I'm the blood work is when I'm fasting as opposed to later in the day when I'm not.

I may have Osler-Weber-Rendu Syndrome as I have many talengiectasia on my arms, legs and face, but I've not been officially diagnosed. I do tend to bruise and bleed more than others.

If anyone sees some similarities with anything that I've written or can provide some information, I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks.
Welcome to the ApoE4.info site, rique!

We are so glad you found us and hope you find the wealth of information and the support of this community helpful. It sounds like you have been struggling for awhile trying to find the right foods to improve your lipid profile. The fact that you have eliminated problem foods, no longer smoke, and are walking every day are a huge plus! It must be frustrating to make healthy changes and not see a change in the numbers. The fact that you have a great memory is so encouraging, and as you probably know, being a 4/4 doesn't necessarily mean you will get Alzheimer's or cardiovascular disease.

You are not alone in your skepticism regarding the lipid work-up and use of statins. The solution to the LDL problem is complicated, and it's difficult to know the right thing to do. Congratulations on taking the initiative to seek-out more information!

If you haven't seen it already, I encourage you to check out our primer (be sure to read the section on lipids). This is a fantastic resource which explores areas such as the science behind the ApoE4 gene and the lifestyle factors that impact its expression. Our how-to guide is another helpful resource on how to search for topics and how to subscribe to topics of interest and more. Click here to go directly to the topic of cholesterol, lipids, and treatment including statins. You can also check out threads that have been started by other members in our stories. When comfortable, you can share your story here too.

Luckily, there are many individuals on this site that will be able to help you out with your questions.

Again, welcome! We are here to assist you, so please feel free to reach out any time!

Best,

CindyM
Support Team Intern
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach
rique
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Re: Newcomer

Post by rique »

Thank you, CindyM. I'm so glad that I found this site.
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floramaria
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Re: Newcomer

Post by floramaria »

rique wrote:If anyone sees some similarities with anything that I've written or can provide some information, I'd love to hear from you.
Hello. Roque! Welcome to the ApoE4.Info community! You have already gotten some great information from CindyM. I also encourage you to read the primer, as she suggested, to get a solid understanding of the ApoE4 allele and also the WiKi section on Cholesterol, Lipids and Treatments, including statins. You can access that through Cindy’s post or here: https://wiki.apoe4.info/wiki/Cholestero ... ng_statins
The Wiki goes into a lot of depth and you may find it very helpful it helping you sort through your options for improving your lipid profile.
You mentioned not knowing whether either of your parents carried the ApoE4 allele. For you to be a 4/4, each of your parents had to contribute an ApoE4 to you, so each of them had at least one.
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach
IFM/ Bredesen Training in Reversing Cognitive Decline (March 2017)
ReCODE 2.0 Health Coach with Apollo Health
rique
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Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2021 1:45 pm

Re: Newcomer

Post by rique »

Thank you, I appreciate the correction. I should have said that I didn't know if my parents had two copies each of the gene.
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