New here? Some Best Practices

[floramaria]

Thanks for the new-comer suggestions. Genetic testing and recent labwork on homosysteine etc are all pointing to developing AD fairly quickly. I'm glad I stumbled upon Dr Bredesen's Protocol but am completely overwhelmed with the number of supplements and dietary changes. I'm glad for this site to help me with this. Are there practitioners who specialize in helping people with the Protocol?

Hi Philippine1, Tincup’s advise about taking it one step at a time is good. Since you know your homocysteine is out of the target range, you could follow the supplement recommendations for bringing that one biomarkers down. I assume “down” since few people have out-of-range low homocysteine.) For most people, it is fairly simple to bring Homocysteine down with Supplements.
Then….Depending on what your diet is like now, you could ease into the dietary changes, selecting one area to focus on. A good place to start is with reducing/eliminating simple carbohydrates if those are part of your current food intake.
It is important that you make changes at a pace that works for you. As you become comfortable with one change, you can add another. It is easy to become overwhelmed by trying to do everything at once. That is a lot to take on! Stress exacerbates cognitive problems and is itself is a contributing factor to cognitive decline. Generally it is a good policy to pace yourself and focus more on congratulating yourself for the changes you are able to make in the present, rather than being overwhelmed by other changes you may want to make down the road.

You say your lab work points to developing Alzheimer’s Disease fairly quickly. If you are not already experiencing cognitive decline and are concerned based mainly on your biomarkers, rather than symptoms, you certainly have time to move in the direction of a lifestyle that will support longterm cognitive health.

[Phillippine1]

Thank you for your response - I'll check out Apollo.
My homosysteine is 16. I have browsed through a lot of the comments on this site, but have not seen anyone reference a level this high. I've started the methylated forms of B's and am attempting to change my diet. My BMI is only 17, I am fairly athletic, 60 years old and worried that my low BMI is a contributing factor. I am a huge carbs addict so I'm targeting that area first, but I'm concerned that my BMI will drop further. Any suggestions on putting on weight? And also, has anyone had experience with a homosysteine level this high? thank you all so much for your responses!

[mike]

I am a huge carbs addict so I'm targeting that area first, but I'm concerned that my BMI will drop further. Any suggestions on putting on weight?

You need to maintain your calories, or even increase if you want to gain weight. If you are going to cut carbs, then you need to add fat and maybe protein, depending on what your current intake is. You want to get rid of fast acting carbs first. Do you know what your blood glucose levels are like?

[Theresa.J]

Thanks for the new-comer suggestions. Genetic testing and recent labwork on homosysteine etc are all pointing to developing AD fairly quickly. I'm glad I stumbled upon Dr Bredesen's Protocol but am completely overwhelmed with the number of supplements and dietary changes. I'm glad for this site to help me with this. Are there practitioners who specialize in helping people with the Protocol?

Hi Phillippine1 -

As a Support Team intern, I would like to welcome you the ApoE4.info website. I'm so glad that you found us!

It is, of course, normal to feel frightened and overwhelmed if you discover you have significant risk factors for Alzheimer's Disease. The good news is that our genes are not our destiny. Research in recent years has shown that making certain lifestyle changes can have a protective effect. Some of these were described in the "Best Practices" post you read. Being curious and seeking to learn as much as you can are great strengths you already possess. As Tincup and Floramaria have suggested, it's best to start out with small changes and then build on those efforts. You will find others on this site and elsewhere who are carry the ApoE4 gene and are living healthy and active lives into their 70s and beyond.

If you would like to explore the site in more detail, I can share several tools/resources to help you get the most out of your experience here:

First, if would like to learn more about ApoE4, the Primer is a detailed and informative resource written by a practicing M.D. with ApoE4/4. It includes information about the biochemistry of the ApoE4 gene and offers a variety of research-based prevention strategies.

In addition, the How to Guide offers tips on how to navigate forums, including how to quote members when you respond to posts so they get an email notification of your post (tip: use the quotation icon in the upper right of any post). The "How to Guide" also demonstrates how to use the Search function for topics and how to subscribe to topics of interest in the forums.

The Wiki also has resources to help you find health care practitioners and health coaches that are familiar with ApoE4 and associated AD risk. Some are trained in the Bredesen protocol. Check out the following sections under resources:

10.5 Searching for a Healthcare Practitioner
10.6 A list of ApoE4-Aware Healthcare Practitioners
10.7 List of ApoE4-Aware Health Coaches

Finally, if you would like to learn more about other community members' experiences, you can link to Our Stories.

I hope you find these tools useful as you navigate the site. Please reach out if you need any other assistance with the site and continue to ask questions!

Take care and be well.

Warmly,
Theresa

[jtodd3]

When I joined today, there was a suggestion to introduce myself. Is this where to do that? I'm an old woman, retired university psychology professor, with 3 kids, 8 grandkids. Always suspected I had genes for ALZ, since my four paternal aunts all had it, and last year 23 and Me confirmed that I have one copy of APOE 4. I'm trying hard to prevent cognitive decline!

[SandyZ]

When I joined today, there was a suggestion to introduce myself. Is this where to do that? I'm an old woman, retired university psychology professor, with 3 kids, 8 grandkids. Always suspected I had genes for ALZ, since my four paternal aunts all had it, and last year 23 and Me confirmed that I have one copy of APOE 4. I'm trying hard to prevent cognitive decline!

Welcome jtodd3,

As a Support Team Intern, I would like to formally welcome you to the ApoE4.info website. I'm glad you found this knowledgeable and supportive community!

Knowing that you have one copy of the ApoE4 gene can empower you to move forward to make the changes to prevent cognitive decline. It sounds like you are already working on that. The good news is that our genes are not our destiny. Research in recent years has shown that making certain lifestyle changes can have a protective effect. You will find others on this site and elsewhere who are carry the ApoE4 gene and are living healthy and active lives into their 70s and beyond. You have a lot to look forward to with 8 grandchildren!

If you would like to explore the site in more detail, here are several tools/resources to help you get the most out of your experience here:

First, if would like to learn more about ApoE4, the Primer is a detailed and informative resource written by a practicing M.D. with ApoE4/4. It includes information about the biochemistry of the ApoE4 gene and offers a variety of research-based prevention strategies.

In addition, the How to Guide offers tips on how to navigate forums, including how to quote members when you respond to posts so they get an email notification of your post (tip: use the quotation icon in the upper right of any post). The How to Guide also demonstrates how to use the Search function for topics and how to subscribe to topics of interest in the forums.

The Wiki is another resource full of information, organized by topic, that you might helpful.

Finally, if you would like to learn more about other community members' experiences or even continue to share more about your own, feel free to visit Our Stories.

I hope this information is helpful. Please reach out for assistance as you navigate the site. I look forward to hearing more from you.

In good health,

SandyZ

[Rtrumbull]

Is this where we introduce ourselves? I am not practiced with forums. I am E3/E4, pretty healthy now but worried due to the AD in my family. My grandmother on mom’s side and two of her sisters definitely had AD. I don’t know for sure how old they were when they died, 80’s maybe. Unfortunately my grandmother’s 4th sister was my other grandmother (parents = cousins) and though she had dementia, she also was just plain miserable. My mother died at 72 with AD, her sister just died at 77 with AD and a third sister is in her 80s but has had AD for quite some time. The men in the family have died of other things, like heart disease.
So, I have my first granddaughter and have spent way too much time overworking and stressed. Now, I want to live well, de-stress, enjoy my loved ones. Retired at 62, run and/or do other exercise 6-7 days per week, love solving Sudokus. I recently read Bredesen’s The End of Alzheimer’s… and am feeling frustrated. I am not an excessive drinker, so wouldn’t qualify for AA, but think i need support to quit. My sweet tooth rages and the food recommendations are tough for a person who has suffered various eating disorders. Finally, affording a physician who practices functional health. Also finding one in my area with openings that takes my insurance. Do you recommend the Apollo Health website to get started on all of the testing? I have my 23 and me genetic results, nicely summarized by the FoundMyFitness website. I don’t know where i stand with other tests. We did just have our house remediated for mold, but I still worry about living in farming country. Ugh, sorry to spew, but I am looking for advice and support groups. And most importantly, positive outcomes.

[Kmlseattle]

Is this where we introduce ourselves? I am not practiced with forums. I am E3/E4, pretty healthy now but worried due to the AD in my family. My grandmother on mom’s side and two of her sisters definitely had AD. I don’t know for sure how old they were when they died, 80’s maybe. Unfortunately my grandmother’s 4th sister was my other grandmother (parents = cousins) and though she had dementia, she also was just plain miserable. My mother died at 72 with AD, her sister just died at 77 with AD and a third sister is in her 80s but has had AD for quite some time. The men in the family have died of other things, like heart disease.
So, I have my first granddaughter and have spent way too much time overworking and stressed. Now, I want to live well, de-stress, enjoy my loved ones. Retired at 62, run and/or do other exercise 6-7 days per week, love solving Sudokus. I recently read Bredesen’s The End of Alzheimer’s… and am feeling frustrated. I am not an excessive drinker, so wouldn’t qualify for AA, but think i need support to quit. My sweet tooth rages and the food recommendations are tough for a person who has suffered various eating disorders. Finally, affording a physician who practices functional health. Also finding one in my area with openings that takes my insurance. Do you recommend the Apollo Health website to get started on all of the testing? I have my 23 and me genetic results, nicely summarized by the FoundMyFitness website. I don’t know where i stand with other tests. We did just have our house remediated for mold, but I still worry about living in farming country. Ugh, sorry to spew, but I am looking for advice and support groups. And most importantly, positive outcomes.

Welcome, Rtrumbull.

It can be overwhelming to learn your ApoE4 status and then go down the rabbit hole of the genetic links to your Rx. I got tested after my mom was diagnosed with MCI and learned of my E3/E4 status. Given that, I'm fairly certain she had AD. She passed this Fall.

Given your family history of both AD and heart disease I'd recommend you ask your primary care doctor for an ECG, referral for a stress test to rule out coronary artery disease. An insulin resistance test would also be a good idea.

I don't have any other definitive family members with AD, so, like you, I've adopted the plan of doing my best to eat well, exercise, reduce my alcohol consumption and my stress. Any lifestyle change can be challenging and you might want to consider working with a health coach to tackle that end of things. You can find a list of AD-aware health coaches here.

As a welcome intern on this forum, I'd like to point you to some other resources. The Primer provides accessible science background and prioritized sensible preventative measures. It was written by a member physician who carries two copies of the APOE-ε4 allele. Other good resources include the search engine on our site, PubMed, and the internet at large in your quest for information.

The WIKI is a searchable compendium of various topics related to ApoE4 and Our Stories gives you access to the experiences of many members of this forum.

I expect you will also see responses to your post from other members. This is a very supportive group of people and there is no shortage of help here.

Please feel free to post follow-up questions as needed.

In good health,
Kathleen

[Rtrumbull]

Whoops, when i posted my intro story earlier, I forgot to actually introduce myself! I am Becky, age 62 now and have been weary of the probability of AD for decades. When my mom was in her early 60s she was very fearful about the likelihood. I am lucky to have more science to turn to. And groups like this one. I have a healthy loving relationship, exercise more and sleep better and make slightly better food choices than she did.
Thanks for everyone who responded and for all you are doing on this website.
Becky

[Alexia C]

Whoops, when i posted my intro story earlier, I forgot to actually introduce myself! I am Becky, age 62 now and have been weary of the probability of AD for decades. When my mom was in her early 60s she was very fearful about the likelihood. I am lucky to have more science to turn to. And groups like this one. I have a healthy loving relationship, exercise more and sleep better and make slightly better food choices than she did.
Thanks for everyone who responded and for all you are doing on this website.
Becky

Hello Becky,

Welcome again to this forum!

I am so glad you have posted and shared your concerns and experiences. This is a very caring community, so I encourage you to keep asking questions. I am sure there are other members with similar experiences that have posted in 'Our Stories' (the link sent on previous response) that you will find helpful.

Working continually to make the right lifestyle choices through nutrition, reducing stress, exercise and respecting your sleep are great steps to take in your health journey. I always work on eating the rainbow (the more colors on my plate the better!) and try to keep creative in the kitchen, when time permits, to help me in making the better choices.

You are on the right track by keeping informed and yes, I agree, we definitely have more science to turn to.

Again, I am so glad you joined our forum and hope you find the support you need. I look forward to hearing from you in the future. Reach out anytime.

Warmly,

Alexia C