Question

[ISEbaby85]

For those who found out your status through 23andme how did you learn what your other e gene was. 23andmeme told me I have one copy of the e4. How do I figure out what my other copy is?

[NF52]

For those who found out your status through 23andme how did you learn what your other e gene was. 23andmeme told me I have one copy of the e4. How do I figure out what my other copy is?

Welcome, ISEbaby85! 23&me is confusing at times, isn't it?! They're telling you that you have one copy of the ApoE 4 allele (a fancy name for "gene") because it is generally assumed that having no, one or two copies of ApoE 4 is what people are most concerned to find out.

You can find out what the other allele is by clicking the magnifying glass icon that that is by your name (it serves as the Search function on that site and this one. Both are by your user name.)
*When the search window opens, type "Browse raw data". (You can download raw data also, but this is quick.)
*You'll see a screen titled Your Raw Data with another search box above a graphic of the numbered chromosomes.
*Enter these two SNPS, one at a time and note the two letters that come up: rs429358 and rs7412.
*If the results are rs429358 with C/T and rs7412 with C/C you have one APOE-ε3 allele and one APOE-ε4 allele. We would call that ApoE 3/4, or even just say "I'm a 3/4" in shorthand. You're in good company, since about 20-25% of people of European ancestry have one copy of ApoE 4, and about 15% of people worldwide.
* If the results are rs429458 with C/T and rs7412 with C/T you have one Apoe ε2 allele and one ApoE -ε4 allele. ApoE 2 is carried by only about 5% of people, and is thought by some to provide a counter-balance to the risk of ApoE 4.

Here's a link to the various combinations from helpful snpedia.com:https://www.snpedia.com/index.php/APOE.

What's most important as a take-away, referencing your other post Just got my results - having a hard time with them is that this does NOT give you a "high risk of developing Alzheimer's".

In fact, with your family history, the likelihood is that you also inherited strong genetic protective factors that provide either resistance to the effects of ApoE 4 or resilience to the changes it may cause. Your great-grandparents who died in their 90's with possible dementia may have experienced vascular dementia from high blood pressure, blocked arteries, white matter disease or mini-strokes--all of which were unable to be diagnosed to treated not long ago. Or they may have had chronic diseases of inflammation that only resulted in dementia as a late stage of the disease.

People my age (67) who have one copy of ApoE 4 have only a 20-25% chance of either Mild Cognitive Impairment or dementia by the age of 85. Since I have 3 adult children about your age who are ApoE e3/4, I can reassure you that they have had more physical activity than I did in pre-Title IX days, when PE for girls was badminton and synchronized swimming! By the time you are 50, I expect far more personalize medicine to be available to craft precise recommendations. A dynamic AD researcher with his own university lab who is motivated by his 3 grandparents who experienced dementia told me recently he thinks this is going to be the case within the next 10-15 years at most.

In the meantime, we know that moderate or vigorous exercise, good sleep, lowered stress, avoidance of high blood pressure, treatment and support for anxiety and other mood disorders, and a healthy diet with limited processed foods and added sugars is likely to benefit everyone. Continued cognitive challenge through work, school or hobbies is also protective. You can find lots of great recommendations for getting started on our Welcome page.

On this forum we have many healthy people with 3/4 and 4/4 who are in their 60's, 70's and 80's. If someone like me can still handle a challenging grad school at age 57, and can read journal articles at 67, then you have been handed an opportunity, not a sentence. And you baby, like my grandchildren, should be a joy to you. Your brain and your baby's brain are built to be resourceful and to find new connections throughout life! Don't worry about that little one, or about yourself, my friend. Do let us know how we can help.

[ISEbaby85]

Hi NF52 - thanks for the reply. I actually ended up doing the Prometheus thing which was probably a bad idea because my anxiety about all
My other genes is at an all time high. I will need to start being proactive in getting better sleep, and eating a healthy diet and trying to keep stress anxiety and depression at a low.

[SamNZ]

Hi ISEbababy85, So sorry to hear of how worried you are at the moment. Remember at all times genes are switched on and off by lifestyle so by doing the right stuff, most of the time you are really protecting not just your brain, but your whole body. You have mentioned your high levels of anxiety several times, maybe this should be something you can focus on first, I am not sure if you have done any mindfulness/ meditation/ breathing practices but I often think that this, and prioritizing some positive emotions (gratitude, doing some stuff you really enjoy) could be a really good place to start for anxiety, in fact I heard from a great Positive Psychologist (Barbara Fredrickson) that prioritizing positivity actually switches on your resilience genes!! I know it has been mentioned before but your genetic profile tell you how likely you are to get something, but we are all individuals and can have a huge influence over the outcome!!! Try to focus on the good, not bad, reduce your stress and then you have plenty of time to combat the other things you may want to change over time. Deep breaths, sending warm wishes SamNZ