ApoE4.Info

Hi,

I'm going to try to keep this short. Haha no health intro /q&a is short.

My first question is what company do you all recommend testing for apoe genotype?

I'm seeing my primary care doctor in October and want to be prepared with info if it's something I'd do through him/insurance. I've read about 23andMe and I'll do that if it makes sense. I can't tell if 23andme gives the genotype and not just APOE4 y/n.

My second question is whether other conditions apart from APOE4 cause moderately high cholesterol. Ever since my first cholesterol test in my 20s, I've pinged 220-240, with a good ratio, but both good and bad cholesterol above normal. Triglycerides always low, especially after I stopped drinking alcohol and became an exercise fiend.

I'm 42, very fit and with no abdominal fat. Two of my three teen/tween kids also have high cholesterol and also are sporty. We're all healthy eaters, though not to any strict guidelines. Almost no processed foods. Breads are sourdough. Dairy is fermented and plain (kefir & yogurt). Lots of fish, beans, greens, nuts and olive oil. Some whole grains. Basically no dietary explanation for the high cholesterol.

My mom is in mid stage Alz/dementia at 86. She has high cholesterol and very high anxiety untreated most of her life. My dad died of leukemia at 77 before we could be sure if he was suffering from the early stages of Alz or if it was "chemo" brain from 6 months of treatment for colon cancer. His cholesterol and BP we're controlled with meds and he was a thin athlete like me. His dad: same body type, no BP or cholesterol issues, yes Alzheimers in mid-80s and beyond.

I'm assuming I'm E3/E4 or E4/E4, and that even if I'm APOE "negative" I'll still develop alz because of family history. I have a mild but progressive lung disease as well (that I control through tons of exercise) and I'm hoping that it does me in first. But i want to be prepared for the sake of my kids, who may have to take care of me, and who may have the same genetic risk.

Yet still I wonder if there is some other reason to have high cholesterol.

Thanks for reading all this

hi Fitfoodie and welcome to our community

In answer to your questions:
1. yes 23andme will give you the full genotype ie 2/3 3/3 3/4 /4/4 etc as it gives the rs variants from which you can work out the apoe type (usually - sometimes they cant identify the two specific rs variants and they tell you "no call")
2. yes there are many gene variants that cause high LDL, Apoe4 is not the only one

I hope this helps with your dilemma!

Stavia,
Thank you. Yes the info you gave does help! Also since posting my questions, I've read about 5 pages of this sub-forum, including links to the should you test and info about promethease. So much to learn.
Thanks again!
Melissa
P.S. There have been some promising developments with APOE4 and CrispR. I'll post a link in the research section.

FitFoodie wrote:Stavia,
Thank you. Yes the info you gave does help! Also since posting my questions, I've read about 5 pages of this sub-forum, including links to the should you test and info about promethease. So much to learn.
Thanks again!
Melissa
P.S. There have been some promising developments with APOE4 and CrispR. I'll post a link in the research section.

thanks Melissa for alerting us to Crispr/Apoe4 possibilities - we are much stronger as a community with multiple eyes on new developments in the field

Greetings FitFoodie, I want to welcome you to the site! You are very wise to be taking precautions for your health and for the sake of your children's future and you are certainly on the right path in reviewing and contemplating your options. You have a great head start with your healthy eating. I hope you enjoy the information this site provides and make full use of the Forum.

FitFoodie, just a heads up. If you talk with your doctor about the results, it will end up on your medical records unless you ask that it be kept off the record. If you are E4 and want long-term care insurance, the insurance companies could set a really high premium, or deny you completely (most likely). You can't be discriminated against for health insurance, but the way health care is being debated these days, that could also change in years to come.

Also, be careful if your doctor orders an advanced lipid panel... which will show your APOE4 status, and go into your file. That happened to me unfortunately, before I knew anything about APOE4!!

Thank you everyone for the welcome and additional info regarding insurance. I'll probably keep things out of my records, though I believe long-term care insurance is being dropped as a product by most insurance companies. It probably won't be an option for me and my husband, but making sure we are attractive to health insurance companies is always good.

Oh, and the CrispR research I found was over a year old. I went to start a thread and realized the article was dated early 2016. Oh well.