wellselc wrote: ↑Thu Nov 03, 2022 10:22 am
Yesterday I learned from a cousin about ApoE4 and this site. Both of our mothers (not related) had/have Alzheimer's. Last night I learned that I am ApoE4 (C, C,)/ApoE2. I am 79 and know that I have a 2.14 higher risk of the disease. I want to do as much as possible to prevent/delay it, because, physically, I am in good health. Right now, I am overwhelmed by all of the information that I am seeing. I really don't know how to begin making any changes to my lifestyle. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! Linda, Tigerville, SC
Hi Linda,
You and your cousin have both had the difficult role of helping and watching mothers with dementia. I am 9 years younger than you and also have been in that role, so please accept a virtual hug from an ApoE 4/4 genetic "cousin".
It can be very hard to learn your DNA results and suddenly wonder "Is this my fate also?" Give yourself permission to ride the rollercoaster of emotions but know that this does get better.
And let me offer some reasons for optimism:
First: Your post and your vocabulary and sentence structure all show that you have intact cognitive and language skills. I started out as an English teacher, moved into learning disabilities, worked with neuropsychologists, and have been in clinical trials for people with normal cognition, so know these tests!
Second: At age 79, you have "cognitive reserve"--probably both a genetic
resistance to any amyloid beta from your ApoE 2 and
resilience because of your education, occupation and high verbal skills.
Third: A long-term study from 2000-2018 of over 800 adults living in the San Francisco Bay area, including about 25% Black or Hispanic/Latino participants, found that cognitive activities (CA) such as reading, using computers and playing games and physical activity (PA) including housework, yard work and exercise all were protective, regardless of what mistakes we made in mid-life. The authors reported that:
both PA and CA are clearly related to better brain and cognitive resilience markers across cohorts with differing educational, racial, and disease statuses.
They also summarized other studies:
In the US, simply walking 10 blocks/day was associated with 13% lower odds of cognitive decline over a 6–8 year period [5]...Using an identical twin study design, the twin with greater intellectual complexity in their occupation demonstrated ~5× [about 5 times] reduced risk of AD [6]. After adjusting for lifelong occupational complexity and education, late-life CA is consistently associated with better cognitive status in older adults.
Late-Life Physical and Cognitive Activities Independently Contribute to Brain and Cognitive Resilience
Fourth: The British Whitehall II study followed 5,560 British civil servants, with an average age of 55, about 25% of them women, for 20 years using extensive physical and cognitive testing. Of the total group,
2.5% had ApoE 2/4, which is similar to what I've seen in other large population studies. Twenty years later, those with ApoE 2/4 were only
2.6% of the total group with dementia (a non-significant difference) and were still
2.5% of the group without dementia.
https://alzres.biomedcental.com/article ... l II study
Table 2 Baseline characteristics according to dementia and mortality status at the end of the follow-up
At 79, you probably know what works for you, but may want to ask your doctor about Vitamin B-12 and D3 tests. I use 500 mcg of B-12 in the methycobalamin form from Jarrow, since I was in a clinical trial in 2017 that found I had levels slightly below the recommendation 500. It was in the high 600's the last time I checked. I used to have "normal" but low Vitamin D in the 30's. I now take 3000 IU (75 mcg) daily of Vitamin D3 in combination with Vitamin K2 (from Pure Encapsulations as K2D) and it's now in the mid 70's (and probably could go higher). You have lots of choices on these things, but it's helpful to get a baseline. You probably know that saturated fat is not your friend, so almond butter is better than Kerry butter! And protein is important for us to keep healthy bones, so enjoy exploring healthy protein options if like me you were raised to have bacon, ham, processed turkey, and lots of beef.
Remember that your mother, like mine, grew up during the Depression, when many homes were heated with coal or wood-burning stoves, smoked meats were far more carcinogenic than now, water was not purified and women often had an 8th grade education. Later in life, those women weren't encouraged to exercise, had high rates of osteoporosis, high blood pressure and undiagnosed heart disease. Almost any person who was diagnosed wit "Alzheimer's" over the age of 80 actually had obvious signs of TIAs and heart disease, and 30% of people like that whose brains were later autopsied showed NO signs of Alzheimer's. That means that you and your cousin are likely to avoid the vascular and toxic forms of dementia that your mothers may have had.
Look forward to life as a healthy, vibrant 80 year old who now knows how to safeguard her future!
Nancy
