NYTs: What if you knew Alzheimer's was coming for you?

Vision, strategy, service, and activism. Web and social media planning and technical discussion.
User avatar
Julie G
Mod
Mod
Posts: 9187
Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2013 6:36 pm

NYTs: What if you knew Alzheimer's was coming for you?

Post by Julie G »

Great coverage of our project! Knowledge of ApoE4 status provides an opportunity to proactively focus on health optimization. We ARE creating a revolution to disrupt Alzheimer's disease as we know it. Thanks to Pagan Kennedy (who also covered this ApoE4 story) and the New York Times for continuing to raise awareness. You can read the article here. The print version comes out on Sunday.
User avatar
TheresaB
Mod
Mod
Posts: 1607
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2016 9:46 am
Location: Front Range, CO

Re: NYTs: What if you knew Alzheimer's was coming for you?

Post by TheresaB »

I love this quote from the article, “We have to make it socially acceptable to talk about having risk of getting dementia,” Amen to that! There's nothing shameful about inheriting certain genes, what is shameful is shunting away this knowledge. I understand no one wants to endanger their job or insurance eligibility, but there needs to be a happy medium. Genes are just the hardware, lifestyle/diet is the metabolic software that determines what the hardware does, with knowledge a person can influence their fate and not feel powerless or victimized.

THANK-YOU SO MUCH Julie, Pagan, and New York Times for helping spread the word.
-Theresa
ApoE 4/4
User avatar
TheBrain
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 1413
Joined: Fri Oct 03, 2014 12:12 pm

Re: NYTs: What if you knew Alzheimer's was coming for you?

Post by TheBrain »

Great article! Thank you to Julie, Theresa, and D. for agreeing to be interviewed for this piece. Thank you to Pagan Kennedy for writing it and to the NYT for publishing it.
ApoE 4/4 - When I was in 7th grade, my fellow students in history class called me "The Brain" because I had such a memory for detail. I excelled at memorization and aced tests. This childhood memory helps me cope!
User avatar
ru442
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 706
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2016 8:52 am

Re: NYTs: What if you knew Alzheimer's was coming for you?

Post by ru442 »

Well balanced article, I especially like that she addressed the societal stigma and the impact it has on employment and insurance. Here is a relevant article I ran across the other day, if and when accurate testing is available, how does the system cope with the demand? While this is specific to the USA, it likely has implications world wide:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 ... 131248.htm
Male 4/4 56 yrs., "Live, Laugh, Love"
Harrison
Senior Contributor
Senior Contributor
Posts: 278
Joined: Wed May 06, 2015 10:24 am

Re: NYTs: What if you knew Alzheimer's was coming for you?

Post by Harrison »

Great article. I particularly liked this passage:
Everything about our relationship to Alzheimer’s is in flux right now. The disease — once thought to be unpreventable — is beginning to look more like a multifactorial illness that might result from poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, chronic inflammation, exposure to chemicals in the environment and genetics. Some scientists now describe Alzheimer’s disease as another form of diabetes; others are pursuing a link between Alzheimer’s disease and cardiovascular problems. And studies have shown a link between Alzheimer’s and exposure to air pollution and head injuries.
I think this multi-factorial explanation sums up why people, such as David Holtzman, say "why bother" to adopting a healthy lifestyle. But to me it is encouraging. While you can't control your genetics, you CAN control (to some extent) diet, exercise, inflammation, and environmental toxins. And who knows, with CRISPR technology making rapid progress, controlling genetics might be here sooner rather than later.
User avatar
cdamaden
Senior Contributor
Senior Contributor
Posts: 300
Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2016 1:46 pm
Location: Alameda, CA, USA

Re: NYTs: What if you knew Alzheimer's was coming for you?

Post by cdamaden »

It was a great article but I was disappointed on its discussion about there being no prevention.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Chris
E4/E4
Alameda, CA, USA
Fiver
Senior Contributor
Senior Contributor
Posts: 629
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2017 12:51 pm

NY TImes article featuring Julie G

Post by Fiver »

Just read the article in the NY Times "What if You Knew Alzheimer’s Was Coming for You?" which includes the story of Julie G.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/201 ... ctionfront

Every day I wake up a see so many people doing disappointing things on the news - it's depressing. And my mom isn't doing very well - and I've been frustrated by her lack of options. But this article made me more hopeful. And it made me really appreciate the work that Julie G and everyone at ApoE4.info are doing. It can't be easy.

Ya'll are pretty awesome.
User avatar
floramaria
Support Team
Support Team
Posts: 1423
Joined: Tue Jul 04, 2017 11:22 am
Location: Northern New Mexico

Re: NYTs: What if you knew Alzheimer's was coming for you?

Post by floramaria »

How great that the article is being published in the Sunday NY Times!
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach
IFM/ Bredesen Training in Reversing Cognitive Decline (March 2017)
ReCODE 2.0 Health Coach with Apollo Health
buck3Maureen
Senior Contributor
Senior Contributor
Posts: 203
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2016 6:14 pm

Re: NYTs: What if you knew Alzheimer's was coming for you?

Post by buck3Maureen »

Disappointed that the article did not mention Dr. Bredesen , his book, or how well Julie is doing. It would be great if they would come up with a pill but until then there are things that appear to be working and I did not read about them here.
User avatar
ru442
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 706
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2016 8:52 am

Re: NYTs: What if you knew Alzheimer's was coming for you?

Post by ru442 »

While I agree with the sentiment that the article didn't address all the things we wanted, it highlighted our group and that in itself is empowering. Folks have questions they want answered, and while the article itself did not address the options available, it is pointing people here where we have the knowledge. Knowledge is power, and that is the power to change lives and know there are ways to improve your health and outcome.

Ru442.... optimist;)

Sent from my SM-T377P using Tapatalk
Male 4/4 56 yrs., "Live, Laugh, Love"
Post Reply