APOE 4/4 plus A673T

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thehappygeek
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APOE 4/4 plus A673T

Post by thehappygeek »

Hello ladies and gents,

I have recently found out via My Heritage that I have two copies of the APOE 4 gene. So 4/4. Obviously giving me a "significantly increased risk" of developing late onset Alzheimer's disease.

I have been doing some research in my raw DNA data and found a couple of interesting ones I wondered if you could shed some light on.

1. I have a gene called the rs63750847 CC. On doing some research it would appear that this is the "rare Icelandic" A673T protective gene. Am I right? My DNA data does say I am nearly 50% Scandinavian (I am UK born and bred).

2. I also have a gene called the rs1864163 AG which I believe might mean I have more "good cholesterol" than average, and may also be a protective gene?

Does anyone know if I am right in these findings? Finding it quite hard that My Heritage only looks at one aspect of DNA (the bad part) without seeing if you have any protective genes too.

Thank you!
NF52
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Re: APOE 4/4 plus A673T

Post by NF52 »

thehappygeek wrote:Hello ladies and gents,

I have recently found out via My Heritage that I have two copies of the APOE 4 gene. So 4/4. Obviously giving me a "significantly increased risk" of developing late onset Alzheimer's disease.

I have been doing some research in my raw DNA data and found a couple of interesting ones I wondered if you could shed some light on.

1. I have a gene called the rs63750847 CC. On doing some research it would appear that this is the "rare Icelandic" A673T protective gene. Am I right? My DNA data does say I am nearly 50% Scandinavian (I am UK born and bred).

2. I also have a gene called the rs1864163 AG which I believe might mean I have more "good cholesterol" than average, and may also be a protective gene?

Does anyone know if I am right in these findings? Finding it quite hard that My Heritage only looks at one aspect of DNA (the bad part) without seeing if you have any protective genes too.

Thank you!
Welcome to a happy geek! I have several happy geeks in my immediate family--all of whom love diving deeply into new and challenging subjects, especially on computers. Some researchers think our ApoE 4 gene provides us extra skills in both verbal memory and executive functions of organizing, planning, etc. so celebrate that important part of you!

Let's start with the good news: Your rs1864163 A/G gene does give you a likelihood of having higher HDL cholesterol, which helps in both cardiac and brain health. You can probably test that likelihood by getting a cholesterol test from your GP. Here's some info from snpedia, which I like as a quick source of info: snpedia: rs1864163

As for the question about the Icelandic protective gene; here's what Snpedia has to say about it: snpedia: rs63750847. You'll notice on the link that it refers to the protective variant as A/A, with some protection also for those with A/T alleles. And yet you have C/C! This is where we all have to do some "translation": Think of A=T (like the word "AT") and G=C ("look-alike letters"). So with your C/C combination "translated", you have the G/G variant, which is the most common variant--probably even among UK residents with Scandinavian ancestors.

Here's snpedia's explanation of why the letters are different in different reports:
DNA is made of 2 complementary strands, SNPedia uses the same strand as dbSNP, but many sources, including 23andMe, will sometimes use the other strand. When this happens all nucleotides need to be switched to the form which is found on the other strand. So an A becomes a T, and a T becomes an A. C becomes a G, and G becomes a C. For reasons I can't explain the source you've chosen is referring to As and Gs, which is the opposite strand from dbSNP. In this case its unambiguous, but there are some nastier cases called ambiguous flips.
snpedia:FAQs

Hope you continue to explore this forum for some encouraging news on how we 4/4s can improve our longevity and reduce our risks! At age 69, with 50% of my ancestors from Scotland, Lincolnshire and Liverpool, I continue to be optimistic that genes are not our destiny!
4/4 and still an optimist!
lucytownsend
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Re: APOE 4/4 plus A673T

Post by lucytownsend »

thehappygeek wrote:Hello ladies and gents,

I have recently found out via My Heritage that I have two copies of the APOE 4 gene. So 4/4. Obviously giving me a "significantly increased risk" of developing late onset Alzheimer's disease.

I have been doing some research in my raw DNA data and found a couple of interesting ones I wondered if you could shed some light on.

1. I have a gene called the rs63750847 CC. On doing some research it would appear that this is the "rare Icelandic" A673T protective gene. Am I right? My DNA data does say I am nearly 50% Scandinavian (I am UK born and bred).

2. I also have a gene called the rs1864163 AG which I believe might mean I have more "good cholesterol" than average, and may also be a protective gene?

Does anyone know if I am right in these findings? Finding it quite hard that My Heritage only looks at one aspect of DNA (the bad part) without seeing if you have any protective genes too.

Thank you!
A warm welcome to apoe4.info ! First of all, I just want to commend you for your research efforts to learn more about your genetics as they relate to your risk for developing Alzheimer's disease. We are here every step of the way to guide you in your efforts to find the answers to your health questions. Many of us here are at a genetically increased risk of Alzheimer's or caring for loved ones who are. I continue to be encouraged by both the support of this community and the up-to-date research it provides.

I am a support team intern and wanted to share useful links with you to help familiarize you with this site. One of our subject matter experts will respond to you soon with specific responses to your gene's rs63750847 CC, rs1864163 AG.

First is the How to guide it will help you get the most out of the ApoE4.info website. It is created to help members navigate the site. This area explains how to use the quotes button so that the other member receives an email notification of your reply, how to search for topics, how to subscribe to topics of interest and more.

My favorite is the Primer written by one of our member physicians, Stavia, who is ApoE4/4. It is great introduction to ApoE4, biochemistry, and possible prevention strategies in addition to exploring areas such as the science behind the ApoE4 gene and the lifestyle factors that impact its expression. It is a wealth of information - a great place to start and to come back to time and again!

The wiki offers a wealth of additional information and details the muti-factorial approach to taking control of your brain health. It is useful for searching specific topics of interest.

And, we would love to know more about you so I invite you to share your journey by creating a new topic in Our Stories . This is something that we encourage all new members to do so they get the opportunity to engage further on the site.

We are so glad you found us,

Warmly,

Lucy
Lucy Townsend
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lucytownsend
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Re: APOE 4/4 plus A673T

Post by lucytownsend »

Dear "the happy geek" ,

Another important piece of information I want to bring to you attention is, in the UK there is a possible higher risk of severe illness, hospitalization or long-term effects for people with ApoE4 who get COVID-19.

The consensus of our members who have posted on whether it's better to not get the vaccine at all would seem to be: "We got the vaccine and we're doing fine, no matter which type we got."
Covid vaccine safety for 4/4's?

Warmly,

Lucy
Lucy Townsend
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach
ReCOACH Coach
Certified Patient Advocate
thehappygeek
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Re: APOE 4/4 plus A673T

Post by thehappygeek »

lucytownsend wrote:Dear "the happy geek" ,

Another important piece of information I want to bring to you attention is, in the UK there is a possible higher risk of severe illness, hospitalization or long-term effects for people with ApoE4 who get COVID-19.

The consensus of our members who have posted on whether it's better to not get the vaccine at all would seem to be: "We got the vaccine and we're doing fine, no matter which type we got."
Covid vaccine safety for 4/4's?

Warmly,

Lucy
Thanks Lucy. I actually have had my first dose of the Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine at the end of March. I had no side effects whatsoever :)
thehappygeek
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Re: APOE 4/4 plus A673T

Post by thehappygeek »

NF52 wrote:
thehappygeek wrote:Hello ladies and gents,

I have recently found out via My Heritage that I have two copies of the APOE 4 gene. So 4/4. Obviously giving me a "significantly increased risk" of developing late onset Alzheimer's disease.

I have been doing some research in my raw DNA data and found a couple of interesting ones I wondered if you could shed some light on.

1. I have a gene called the rs63750847 CC. On doing some research it would appear that this is the "rare Icelandic" A673T protective gene. Am I right? My DNA data does say I am nearly 50% Scandinavian (I am UK born and bred).

2. I also have a gene called the rs1864163 AG which I believe might mean I have more "good cholesterol" than average, and may also be a protective gene?

Does anyone know if I am right in these findings? Finding it quite hard that My Heritage only looks at one aspect of DNA (the bad part) without seeing if you have any protective genes too.

Thank you!
Welcome to a happy geek! I have several happy geeks in my immediate family--all of whom love diving deeply into new and challenging subjects, especially on computers. Some researchers think our ApoE 4 gene provides us extra skills in both verbal memory and executive functions of organizing, planning, etc. so celebrate that important part of you!

Let's start with the good news: Your rs1864163 A/G gene does give you a likelihood of having higher HDL cholesterol, which helps in both cardiac and brain health. You can probably test that likelihood by getting a cholesterol test from your GP. Here's some info from snpedia, which I like as a quick source of info: snpedia: rs1864163

As for the question about the Icelandic protective gene; here's what Snpedia has to say about it: snpedia: rs63750847. You'll notice on the link that it refers to the protective variant as A/A, with some protection also for those with A/T alleles. And yet you have C/C! This is where we all have to do some "translation": Think of A=T (like the word "AT") and G=C ("look-alike letters"). So with your C/C combination "translated", you have the G/G variant, which is the most common variant--probably even among UK residents with Scandinavian ancestors.

Here's snpedia's explanation of why the letters are different in different reports:
DNA is made of 2 complementary strands, SNPedia uses the same strand as dbSNP, but many sources, including 23andMe, will sometimes use the other strand. When this happens all nucleotides need to be switched to the form which is found on the other strand. So an A becomes a T, and a T becomes an A. C becomes a G, and G becomes a C. For reasons I can't explain the source you've chosen is referring to As and Gs, which is the opposite strand from dbSNP. In this case its unambiguous, but there are some nastier cases called ambiguous flips.
snpedia:FAQs

Hope you continue to explore this forum for some encouraging news on how we 4/4s can improve our longevity and reduce our risks! At age 69, with 50% of my ancestors from Scotland, Lincolnshire and Liverpool, I continue to be optimistic that genes are not our destiny!
Thank you for this very informative response :D
thehappygeek
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Re: APOE 4/4 plus A673T

Post by thehappygeek »

Thanks both for your replies. I ran my raw data from My Heritage through Promethease yesterday which came up with a few other interesting bits of DNA. I think I found a few positives:-

rs1799990 AG - resistance to vCJD, 4.6x reduced risk of Sporadic CJD and 0.87x reduced risk for LOAD.

rs10468017 CT - associated with higher HDL cholesterol

rs1061325 - two copies of 'farmer' CLTCL 1 gene variant - wasn't sure on this one because it seems to say that it means I am good at breaking down carbohydrates but also could potentially lead to insulin resistance?!

rs10936599 CC - this one just said 'longer telomeres, longer life?'

rs174537 TT - lower LDL-C and total cholesterol

rs4149268 AG - associated with higher HDL cholesterol

rs8164163 AG - associated with higher HDL cholesterol

rs261332 AG - associated with higher HDL cholesterol

rs4939883 CT - associated with higher HDL cholesterol

rs610932 AC - this was labelled as 'green' for good but didn't really say much. Just said it had some connection to AD.

rs2149954 AG - slight association with longer life (longevity)

It also said under the two copies of the APOE E4 allele - Possible false positive - just because it was so rare I think? Is it worth having another test done with another company that is not My Heritgage? Or am I clutching at straws.

Hoping that all my "good cholesterol" genes might come in handy. Also said I had 3 genes which suggested "larger than average breasts" - at least I know that one worked!!!!
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