Welcome, LynnDeeOH4! I'm guessing from your user name and your first post about the U. of Cincinnati study that you live in the great state of Ohio. I've never lived there, but did total my car near Elyria one snowy April morning many years ago, with no injury to me and wonderful help from the state police to a scared 22 year old in a blizzard, so will also be a Buckeye fan!LynnDeeOH4 wrote:Hello,
I would like to introduce myself. I am 59 years old female, and my mother (age 86) has Alzheimer's disease. In 2017 I found out that I carry one APOE-e4 allele and one APOE-e3 allele (through 23andMe and Prometheus). In 2018 my husband and I started eating a totally plant-based (vegan) diet. I also take saffron and turmeric along with vit D3 and Omega 3 (from Flax Seed oil). I feel that my memory has slowly been declining. I have the most struggle with names (even with friends). I try to exercise 3 times a week - but would like to increase that to daily. I have signed up for the Brain Health Registry and take periodic surveys and cognitive testing. I also sign up for several research studies - but haven't been contacted by any. I looked into the Dr. Bedesen Protocol - but it was too costly and the idea of fasting doesn't sound very doable.
To stimulate my mind I run my own home-based reselling business online and I also co-lead a Bible study. I would like to learn some new dances (line dancing, etc.) - which I've heard is great for stimulating memory.
I joined this community in hopes of learning more about how to keep my brain and body healthy - and prevent further memory decline.
I too had a mom with Alzheimer's disease (or what is sometimes called "mixed dementia: Alzheimer's and vascular type"} with a history of high blood pressure, family history of strokes and late-onset congestive heart failure. If that's similar to your mother's story, I imagine you share the respect I had for my mother's grace, grit and even humor as she dealt with issues that at times baffled her sharp mind.
It sounds like you and your husband have three great years of a vegan diet, and useful supplements, which have no doubt greatly increased your resilience to the risk of one ApoE 4 gene (that ApoE 3 is still doing it's best to protect you also!). You may want to look at the Biomarkers suggested by Stavia, a physician with ApoE 4/4 about your age who has written a superb Primer
Here's a link to her section on biomarkers and tests for markers and vitamins like B-12 Primer:Biomarkers.
When I want to check a level that I know my insurance won't cover, I just use one of these options and order the test online, get an email lab order that I can take to my local blood lab and usually get the emailed results with a reference range of normal values within a day or two. Here's info on that if you need it: Direct to Consumer Lab Testing Options.
Running an online business and Bible study group means you are doing high level problem-solving (tech, financial, customer service etc.) which is associated in multiple cohort studies with maintaining cognitive flexibility and resiliency in mid-life and later. And dancing and exercising means you are helping your brain stay nimble and your body strong!
Like you, I've signed up for the Brain Health Registry and some others, which you can see here: ApoE4 Alzheimer's Research: What's New I was a participant in a clinical trial: Generations 1, for people with ApoE 4/4 and normal cognition from 2017-2020. I am a volunteer member of a Research Participant Advisory Board for the Alzheimer's Clinical Trial Consortium, funded by the NIHand run by UC-San Diego to improve patient recruitment, retention and ethical support for participant needs. I'm surprised that you haven't been contacted by studies you've contacted (shame on them!)
I'd be glad to help you try to find nearby or online studies, or get you contact info for studies. You can either just reply to this email that you'd like me to send you a Private Message or you can send me one if you'd like to learn more about clinical studies. Here's how to do that, from our How to Guide in this section: How to use Private Messages
Not to get too far down a rabbit hole, but I've just been reading that a plant-based diet may slow or even reverse narrowing of the carotid arteries, which happens in "normal aging" but appears to accelerate in ApE4 carriers. It is considered an accurate marker of "preclinical atherosclerotic disease" even in people with otherwise good blood pressure and metabolic markers. If heart disease or strokes/TIAs are in your mom's history, and if you have elevated LDL-C or LDL-P (particle) numbers, you may want to talk with your PCP about whether it's worth getting some imaging, such as a coronary artery scan (CAC) or an ultrasound scan of your carotid arteries (Carotid Intima Media Thickness: CIMT), since that may guide suggestions to aggressively lower LDL and maintain great cardiac and vascular health.
I hope summer is bringing you the ability to enjoy life outside with friends and family, Lynn, and that you feel empowered to ask and share anything you like with your new "family" of ApoE4s.
Hugs from the state of Virginia!