Husband has 2 of the Apoe4

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Cheraand
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Husband has 2 of the Apoe4

Post by Cheraand »

My husband has 2 of the Apoe4 gene. A year or so after getting his results he was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, confirmed with a spinal tap.
Flo
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Re: Husband has 2 of the Apoe4

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Cheraand wrote:My husband has 2 of the Apoe4 gene. A year or so after getting his results he was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, confirmed with a spinal tap.
Dear Cheraand,

I'm so sorry to hear that your husband had been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's.
Hopefully you will find all the answers your are looking for here, whether technical or lifestyle based. And our community will gather around you and offer their support!
If you are unsure what to look at first, there are a couple of places that I would recommend:
1. the Primer, which contains lots of scientific and lifestyle explanations about the ApoE4 gene; and
2. the How-to guide in the Wiki which explains the little quirks of the website and will help you get the most out of it. The Wiki contains loads of other information, including what to eat, recipes and much more.
It would be interesting to know if you alrdeay have tried any of the lifestyle implementations recommended?

Warmly,
Flo
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TheresaB
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Re: Husband has 2 of the Apoe4

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Cheraand wrote:My husband has 2 of the Apoe4 gene. A year or so after getting his results he was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, confirmed with a spinal tap.
Welcome Cheraand

Finding out you, or your loved one, holds 2 copies of ApoE4 can be distressing not to mention a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. You say it’s early onset. ApoE4s are at higher risk for Late Onset, we just get it earlier. So I’m guessing what you really mean is he has been diagnosed with Late Onset Alzheimer’s, but in the early stage. Early into the disease means all is not lost.

I don’t know if you’re familiar with Dr Dale Bredesen, he has helped folks with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) (the stage before Alzheimer’s) and those with Alzheimer’s that is not well progressed to reverse their symptoms. So there is hope.

Alzheimer’s is a multi-faceted, complex disease. The issues that drive cognitive impairment in one person doesn’t necessarily match the same drivers in another person. Every person't causal factors are individual, so treatment is best individualized. In addition to a diagnosis, did you doctor assess any biomarkers? Identifying the “low hanging fruit” (inflammation, insulin resistance, hormonal support, etc.) that helps with targeting the issues that can provide the “biggest bang for the buck.” I hope your doctor is working with you to help you and your husband.

There is a lot of information available on this site is there anything in particular that is on your mind?
-Theresa
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Cheraand
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Re: Husband has 2 of the Apoe4

Post by Cheraand »

No, it is early onset Alzheimer’s because he was only 56 when he was diagnosed.
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Re: Husband has 2 of the Apoe4

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Cheraand wrote:No, it is early onset Alzheimer’s because he was only 56 when he was diagnosed.
Oh dear, Early Onset is also known as Familial Alzheimer's Disease and different genes contribute to that. That on top of being ApoE4/4, wow, that's really tough. I'm so sorry.

Dr Mary Newport's husband was in his 50s when he was diagnosed, so while It's never been confirmed, it's highly likely he had early onset/familial Alzheimer's. You might want to investigate how she used MCT oil and a exogenous ketone ester to keep him going a few extra years.
-Theresa
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Re: Husband has 2 of the Apoe4

Post by NF52 »

TheresaB wrote:
Cheraand wrote:No, it is early onset Alzheimer’s because he was only 56 when he was diagnosed.
Oh dear, Early Onset is also known as Familial Alzheimer's Disease and different genes contribute to that. That on top of being ApoE4/4, wow, that's really tough. I'm so sorry.
Welcome, Cheraand,

Thanks for sharing your husband's age of 56. What a blow that must have been to both of you! I just met someone last week whose husband is also ApoE 4/4; he was diagnosed before 65 with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Another wonderful and intelligent woman at the same meeting (an advisory board of participants interested in Alzheimer's Prevention Clinical Trials) is ApoE 4/4 and was diagnosed at 57 with MCI. A third woman was diagnosed with AD three years ago and is still able to travel with her husband and contribute to her community. She talked of "listening with my heart, instead of talking with my brain" and "giving compassion to those who need it" as values that keep her going.

Diagnosis before age 65 is not as common as the late-onset for people with ApoE 4, but it is still considered the "sporadic" form of the disease, meaning it doesn't happen to everyone in the family as a dominant gene would trigger. Researchers don't yet have the ability to identify which people might be at greater risk for a younger age of onset, although it's likely a combination of health, other genetic and environmental factors.

Here's a hypothesis from a current study of people with early onset AD that is non-familial:
Unlike the usual late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD), early-onset AD (EOAD), with onset before age 65, includes a high percentage of phenotypic variants. These non-familial, variants (vEOAD) present, not with progressive memory loss, but with language, visuospatial, or other cognitive difficulties.
Early-onset Alzheimer's Disease Phenotypes: Neuropsychology and Neural Networks (EOAD-Subtype)

Here's an excerpt from the Alzheimer's Association website: Younger-onset AD may be sporadic, familial, or autosomal dominant in nature. ...Approximately 13 percent of all younger-onset cases are younger-onset autosomal dominant cases... In addition, a small number of younger-onset cases have been influenced by the APOE4 gene. https://www.alz.org/media/Documents/inb ... c-link.pdf

You may want to talk with your husband's neurologist or regional Alzheimer's research center about clinical trials for people with younger-onset Alzheimer's or "early-stage" Alzheimer's, in addition to exploring the wonderful resources in the Primer and Wiki, mentioned above by Flo. You can also find clinical trials through the Alzheimer's Association Trial Match

Reach out to people in your community (and on this community) who are or have been in a similar situation.
Just talking with the people with EAOD from ApoE 4/4 whom I met last week gave me, a 67 year old woman with ApoE 4/4, hope for a better tomorrow for ourselves and our children, and lives that continue to have purpose and joy-- if we are open with others about what we need and how much we have to offer.

Hugs from a wife who knows that our lives are rarely on a straight path.
4/4 and still an optimist!
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Re: Husband has 2 of the Apoe4

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He is currently in a clinical trial at Emory
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Re: Husband has 2 of the Apoe4

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Cheraand wrote:He is currently in a clinical trial at Emory
Emory has a great reputation and is part of the Alzheimer's Clinical Trial Consortium (ACTC), funded by the National Institute on Aging to support collaboration and state-of-the-art analysis and sharing of data. The study sites also prioritize support and open communication with participants and their care partners. I hope that you both find your team there to be helpful, and also find support on this site.
4/4 and still an optimist!
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