26 and 4/4

Newcomer introductions, personal anecdotes, caregiver issues, lab results, and n=1 experimentation.
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floramaria
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Re: 26 and 4/4

Post by floramaria »

eillac wrote:Hi all! I am also a 26 year old that found out I'm 4/4 from 23andMe (and subsequent investigation on Promethease). I confirmed that this wasn't a fluke by also looking at the gene on my parents' raw AncestryDNA files. I don't have any advice other than to say that other people in the same situation are out there, and it's impossible to predict the future.
Hi eillac, Welcome to the ApoE4.Info community. It seems to me that you may have intended to be replying to rara93, who began this thread. If you’d like a person to be notified that you have replied , you need to use the quotation marks in the upper right hand corner of that person’s post, as I have done with yours. You can get information on how to do this, and many other useful tips at How-To Get the Most out of the ApoE4.info website, a section in the Wiki.
If you haven’t found it yet, and are interested in learning about the ApoE4 allele, the Primer is an excellent place to begin. It provides an overview of risks associated with the ApoE4 allele and also gives prioritized steps for minimizing the potential negative impacts, and has a list of biomarkers that are important to follow.
If you’d like to share more about yourself, a good place to introduce yourself is in Our Stories.
While I agree with you that it is impossible to predict the future, personally I believe that the lifestyle choices that each of us makes has a huge impact on gene expression. We can’t predict the future, but we can move things in the direction of longterm health, making that much more likely . Getting plenty of exercise and good sleep, maintaining a healthy BMI and eating in such a way that one does not develop insulin resistance , and reducing stress are all important, non-controversial steps for maintaining the longterm health of body &mind.
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Sara Mushel, MS
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Re: 26 and 4/4

Post by Sara Mushel, MS »

Welcome to the forum, eillac! You are in great company with a supportive group of people who understand what you're going through. You're right in that it's impossible to predict the future, but give yourself credit for starting the exploratory process to find out more about your genetics! The good news is that there are several evidence-based lifestyle modifications that you can do over the years to not only greatly reduce your chances of developing Alzheimer's but actually improve your cognition. A great place to start on this topic, and to learn more about the forum in general, is the Primer. You could also try searching the forums for other members in your age range that are in the same boat as you.

I think you'll be encouraged by all of the information and support here, eillac. Please let us know if you have any questions along the way!

Sara Mushel, Intern
Electrikat
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Re: 26 and 4/4

Post by Electrikat »

Hello! I understand your exact feelings. I work as a Molecular Technologist and us techs test our own DNA as controls for our assays. I was fine looking at my results for our pharmocogenetic panel to see how inmetabolize different medications, but I didn’t realize it would also tell me my APOE status which is 4/4. I would have rather stayed ignorant to be honest. However I am 37 and right now they aren’t close to any cures or even any guaranteed prevention. I don’t know if they will come up with anything by the time I’m the age to start having symptoms. And personally I feel like that’s too late. Us 4/4 are building up plaques all our lives so unless they find something that completely breaks down and gets rid of all those plaques that we’ve gathered I don’t see how it makes a difference. Luckily you have a lot more time than I do so let that give you some comfort. I’m still in the very pessimistic death sentence stage of acceptance as you can tell. Maybe if I was younger I would have more hope. Thanks for sharing your experience
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Re: 26 and 4/4

Post by JD2020 »

Electrikat wrote: Sat Dec 11, 2021 9:05 am I’m still in the very pessimistic death sentence stage of acceptance as you can tell. Maybe if I was younger I would have more hope. Thanks for sharing your experience
Electrikat, you are still very young! And there is so much you can do to preserve cognitive health. That is the point of all this.
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floramaria
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Re: 26 and 4/4

Post by floramaria »

Electrikat wrote: Sat Dec 11, 2021 9:05 am However I am 37 and right now they aren’t close to any cures or even any guaranteed prevention. I don’t know if they will come up with anything by the time I’m the age to start having symptoms. And personally I feel like that’s too late. Us 4/4 are building up plaques all our lives so unless they find something that completely breaks down and gets rid of all those plaques that we’ve gathered I don’t see how it makes a difference. Luckily you have a lot more time than I do so let that give you some comfort. I’m still in the very pessimistic death sentence stage of acceptance as you can tell. Maybe if I was younger I would have more hope. Thanks for sharing your experience
. Hello, ElectriKat! It most certainly is not too late for you! I understand that you have not had a chance yet to delve into all of the recent developments and research about strategies for preserving your cognitive health. There is so much you can do. I hope you will be able to transform that pessimism into action to improve your longterm health. Genetics are only a piece of the whole. ApoE4 is not considered deterministic, it is only a risk factor. Changes you make now (and in the upcoming decades) can reduce that risk tremendously.
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