I carry One APOE 4 allele and one APOE 3...

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cbarker54
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I carry One APOE 4 allele and one APOE 3...

Post by cbarker54 »

I turned in my DNA to promethease and found I am at a very high risk for Alzheimers.
Here is the exact wording:
You carry one APOE-ε3 allele and one APOE-ε4 allele. This results in 2x-3x increased relative risk of Alzheimer's disease compared to those carrying two APOE-ε3 alleles. For non-Caucasians the risk is increased, but SNPedia has not yet seen any reliable estimates. This is based on
• rs429358(C;T)
• rs7412(C;C)

In light of finding this out today, what should I be doing to lower my risks?
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TheresaB
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Re: I carry One APOE 4 allele and one APOE 3...

Post by TheresaB »

cbarker54 wrote:In light of finding this out today, what should I be doing to lower my risks?
Well, for one thing, follow this website/forum discussions. Welcome to the club. Genetics are not destiny. The ApoE4 allele was for the vast majority of human evolution the only gene we had, it served early man very well, one could say it was critical to ensuring the human race thrived. Then, from an evolutionary perspective, the ApoE3 and ApoE2 allele mutated VERY recently. I look at our gene as not being a "bad" gene, just maladapted to our modern way of living and eating, missing those "good old days" of early man. I don't look at it as "the kiss of Alzheimer's" but it does need proper care and feeding. There are ApoE4s with clear thinking and good health into their 70's, 80's, 90's, personally, I plan to be on of them, please join me.

Read the primer https://www.apoe4.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=1418, visit our wiki https://www.apoe4.info/wiki/Main_Page, and follow the discussions on these forums. If there is something you are particularly interested in, use the search function, many subjects have already been discussed by us "oldtimers" who have been with this website for years https://www.apoe4.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=4961.
-Theresa
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Re: I carry One APOE 4 allele and one APOE 3...

Post by NF52 »

cbarker54 wrote:You carry one APOE-ε3 allele and one APOE-ε4 allele. This results in 2x-3x increased relative risk of Alzheimer's disease compared to those carrying two APOE-ε3 alleles...In light of finding this out today, what should I be doing to lower my risks?
Welcome cbarker54,

Wow! If you just found this out today and found us today, you are a champ at being proactive!! My guess would be a professional problem-solver in your "day job". Glad you asked the question and hope you ask more, and jump into discussions.

It's a shock to get news that says you have a "2x-3x increased relative risk" of Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared to people with ApoE 3/4. Phrases like "2x-3x the risk" only help if you know what it "normal" risk is. Scientists give a broad range that seems to be the average risk for someone with ApoE 3/4: by the age of 85, people now in their 60's with ApoE 3/4 may have a 20-25% chance of being diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer's or other dementia (ex. vascular dementia). APOE-related risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia for prevention trials: An analysis of four cohorts
Another way to look at that is that if you are in your 60's you may have a 75-80% chance of staying healthy, especially if you have "cognitive reserve" due to higher education than our parents may have had, occupational challenges that kept your brain working, a fairly healthy diet and access to health care to control medical issues.

The incidence of Alzheimer's is dropping noticeably in people now in their 60's, and 70's, presumably due to factors like improved water, air and food quality, access to education and health care, and control of risk factors like diabetes and high blood pressure, and less smoking.

Your personal risk of Alzheimer's depends on a whole lot of factors, not all of which have been identified. Whatever your age, you can prioritize some of the factors that seem both relevant and do-able for you personally : sleep, stress reduction, maintaining good insulin resistance, social and cognitive engagement. "What to do to lower my risk?" is a hot topic in the Prevention and Treatment forum; opinions can vary widely.

For some more introduction to this confusing area, I'd recommend a few topics on this forum:
For an explanation of ApoE4: ApoE4 Introduction
For "tricks and tips" about using this sometimes clunky software to get the most out of the website: How-to Guide

Feel free to share and ask whatever seems important to you personally. And remember, you are still the same person you were when you woke up this morning--just armed with some useful knowledge about something that is only a risk, not a sentence.
4/4 and still an optimist!
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Re: I carry One APOE 4 allele and one APOE 3...

Post by Sara »

Welcome cbarker54 to the apoe4.info site! Congratulations on your courage for testing and interpreting your results! Excellent advice from Theresa B and NF52! You didn't mention your age or where you are in key lifestyle components but some very elementary steps to lowering your risk include 1) transition to a healthy eating plan - avoid processed foods, increase intake of healthy greens, use organic and grass fed whenever possible and seek out 'healthy' fats, 2) start exercising if not already doing so, 3) begin to research stress management practices i.e., meditation 4) increase your knowledge base about this subject and above all remain positively focused. In its simplest form your test results are a call to better health! Good luck, keep us posted on how you are doing and don't be afraid to ask when you have questions.
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Surviving loved one who transitioned with AD
cbarker54
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Re: I carry One APOE 4 allele and one APOE 3...

Post by cbarker54 »

Thank you for your responses. They are incredibly reassuring. Sorry, I should have included my information. I was just overwhelmed and went straight to the point. So, to fill you in, here is my information about myself and my family.
I am 57 years young and have always been told I have a strong healthy heart. However, my last stress test was probably over 10 -15 years ago. I have been told I am pre-diabetic, but have been successful keeping my blood sugar normal by not eating any sugar whatsoever. I also eat very healthy in that I only choose organic grass fed beef and organic foods overall. I do drink white wine daily. Checking my blood sugar.... my blood sugar goes down after having a glass of wine. (Not sure about red, as I've not drank it in 2 years). My good cholesterol is in a great range and my bad cholesterol is barely there. My blood pressure is normal. I have not exercised regularly in years due to having CRPS (which is a neurological pain disease). I've just started weekly pilates and am trying to walk at least 2 miles on my treadmill at least 3 times a week. ( I'll let you know when I actually accomplish this). I am over weight from the inactivity and am actively seeking help via Pain management at Stanford. Overweight for my usual small frame. I have never weighed this much in my entire life and am working on reversing this. I'm eating all the right foods it seems and still can't seem to shed the weight. It's super frustrating. I cook all our meals from scratch and we never use white flours or oils other than canola for high heat and olive oil for everything else.
For family history, My mother had a heart attack on the table while having a stent put in at 55 years of age. She had type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. She is now deceased, but not from her heart.
My brother has high blood pressure and diabetes as well and has lost the vision in one eye due to it. He is working with Dr's to try and save his other eye.
I appreciate the welcome and the advice on how to work with this finding that may or may not happen.
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