Advantages of genetic testing on Bredesen protocol treatment?

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Advantages of genetic testing on Bredesen protocol treatment?

Post by Shine »

Hello

I am unfortunately in a position where I don’t need to get genetic testing to know I have a high risk of developing Alzheimer’s due to a strong family history. I pretty much assume I am a 4/4. As such I am trying to be proactive & follow the Bredesen protocol (slowly I am getting there!)

I have read Dr Bredesen’s book & done some research but I was hoping someone might be able to clearly explain to me what the advantages of getting genetic testing done is in terms of treatment? Or where I could find a clear outline of what you do differently based on each genetic status?

There are disadvantages of finding out - especially when it comes to insurance etc plus the $300price tag! I am happy to pay & get tested if it will help me in the long term. I am just trying to get this all clear in my head first.

I am trying to weigh up in my mind whether the advantages out weigh the disadvantages but I don’t seem to be completely clear on the advantages. So for example in terms of treatment what does one do differently if you are an Apoe4 or e2? And how much difference does it make when implementing the protocol?

I apologise if this has been asked & answered already .
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Re: Advantages of genetic testing on Bredesen protocol treatment?

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Sharon wrote:Hello

I am unfortunately in a position where I don’t need to get genetic testing to know I have a high risk of developing Alzheimer’s due to a strong family history. I pretty much assume I am a 4/4. As such I am trying to be proactive & follow the Bredesen protocol (slowly I am getting there!)
Hi Sharon;
As far as the ApoE genetics, the only difference I am aware of with the Bredesen protocol is recommending less saturated fat (including coconut oil) for E4. Hopefully others will weigh in with their interpretation of his protocol, which probably changes over time as he learns more.

There are many other genetic tests that can be ordered. Dr Bredesen has "whole genome, exome, or SNPs" as "optimal tests" in his book. Getting all this information may be overwhelming for you, especially if you don't have a provider who is experienced in interpreting and giving advice on these results. Some of our members to the testing and and their own research; this may be too much for you at this time. One simple genetic test that is ordered is the MTHFR gene, which allows inactive folate to be the activated to the methylated form. A work around is to take the methylated supplemental form if your levels are low, or if homocysteine is high.

My suggestion is to stick with the basics for now - nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management - and slowly take a deeper dive as you are ready. I personally have not done in depth genetic testing, my FM MD has not recommended it for me, and we have plenty to work on with other abnormal results that have been found with Bredesen recommended testing. It may be a good next step for me once we clean up the current abnormals and still find that I have work to do.
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Re: Advantages of genetic testing on Bredesen protocol treatment?

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Sharon wrote:I have read Dr Bredesen’s book & done some research but I was hoping someone might be able to clearly explain to me what the advantages of getting genetic testing done is in terms of treatment? Or where I could find a clear outline of what you do differently based on each genetic status?

There are disadvantages of finding out - especially when it comes to insurance etc plus the $300price tag!
You can get genotyped by ordering 23andMe’s Ancestry reports for $99 and running the raw data through Promethease, Stratagene or one of several other inexpensive analysis tools. You can also purchase 23andMe’s Ancestry and Health reports and get your APOE4 status and other health information directly from them for $199.

Genetic information has been incredibly valuable for me and goes beyond just my APOE status.



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Re: Advantages of genetic testing on Bredesen protocol treatment?

Post by Shine »

xactly wrote: Genetic information has been incredibly valuable for me and goes beyond just my APOE status.
Thank you for responding. Are you able to elaborate on how your genetic information has been valuable for you?

In appreciation, Sharon





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Re: Advantages of genetic testing on Bredesen protocol treatment?

Post by SusanJ »

Sharon, I would suggest you make your changes based on Bredesen's protocol and your current health situation, and see if those changes get you to where you want to be both lab-wise and health-wise. You already know you are at risk and knowing your E4 status might not add much to the mix at the moment. If you get stuck some months down the road, then knowing genes like MTHFR, PEMT, COMT and other variants we discuss here might help you fine tune your supplements to get better results.
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Re: Advantages of genetic testing on Bredesen protocol treatment?

Post by xactly »

Sharon wrote:Are you able to elaborate on how your genetic information has been valuable for you?
IMO, APOE4 status is only one piece of information that can help you take action to increase your healthspan. Knowing my MTHFR and other methylation-related genes status helped me realize I'm an undermethylator, and that has serious consequences for mental and physical health. As a result, I implemented a supplement protocol to enhance methylation.

I have always been a bit of a driven, competitive person. It served me well in my career, but it also made me edgy, easily irritated and prone to worrying about stuff I should let go of. My genetic data shows I have an underperforming gene involved in converting the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate into the calming and inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA (ie, I produce too much glutamate and not enough GABA). Once I realized I was GABA-deficient, I started taking GABA when needed to remain calm and balanced, and to sleep better at night.

I know I have increased risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), so I make sure not to sit for extended periods of time, and I wear compression socks on airline flights. I learned I shouldn't take Vitamin E in supplement form.

Beyond learning what my risks are, I learned there are a whole BUNCH of things I don't need to be particularly concerned about. I don't have the BRCA (breast cancer) genes. I am at low risk for Parkinson's. And so on.

I know not everyone wants this level of detail, and it can certainly be overwhelming. You may find it's enough to start on the Bredesen protocol and not worry about anything else. However, you will still need information from lab tests to know which parts of the protocol to implement. You said you are certain you are an APOE4. If all of your affected family members have late-onset AD, then that's probably a good assumption. If some or all have early onset, though, there could be toxic exposure issues at work. Getting genotyped will let you verify or disprove your assumption about APOE4 status.

So whether or not you will benefit is a personal choice. For me, knowledge is power. I enjoy the learning process and, even more, I love changing my odds for the future by acting on what I know about my DNA today.
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Re: Advantages of genetic testing on Bredesen protocol treatment?

Post by Lindy »

Hi Sharon, I have a family history of Alzheimer's too. I also inherited my mom's hay fever and spelling ability and worrywart tendencies, my dad's hair color and sweet tooth, and both parents' short stature and nearsightedness.

I'm kind of in xactly's camp. I'm the kind of person who likes to know everything I can about my body and health so I can take preventive or curative measures (not just for my APOE4/4). I had to balance the idea of possibly being rejected for insurance in the future against the idea that I could know what I'm up against and find ways to deal with it proactively. I chose the proactive route, but talked it over with my family first and prepared myself for bad news. The news was actually mixed - I had expected the worst but was encouraged to discover there are both good and bad genes in my (and everyone's) genetic makeup. And some of the bad markers I have in my genes (like higher than usual risk of getting lung cancer or COPD from smoking and a lot of others) never got activated in my case because I never did anything to turn them on. They're just sitting there with nothing to do. So I don't get too excited about most of my genes, just focus on the interesting ones.

I respect other people's decisions not to do testing and rely instead on trying various things and seeing how they work for them. There are plenty of people who are doing that successfully here.

I feel fortunate we're in an age where there is so much information available we can really try to do something to prevent or delay dementia and improve our quality of life. Knowing what I'm dealing with helps a lot. So do the recommendations for healthy living in the Primer on this list (which you don't have to have a DNA test to try out). And posting your questions here is an excellent way to find answers and new friends who are on the same journey.
APOE-ε4/ε4 on the voyage of discovery.
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Re: Advantages of genetic testing on Bredesen protocol treatment?

Post by Verax »

Sharon, genetic testing adds information useful for a diagnosis, as family history is not enough to predict risk in sporadic late-onset Alzheimer's Disease. Dr Bredesen proposes several distinct types of AD with different causes and treatments. So far, LOAD is diagnosed by symptoms and a few signs such as memory and cognitive tests and gait. Actual diagnosis of AD has always really required histological evidence in the brain of amyloid plaques and tau tangles, no matter the family history, so not available for the living. Currently some progress has been made toward early biomarkers such as PET scans and blood tests as well as CSF samples, but so far these are expensive and not widely used except in clinical trials. Relying for diagnosis of AD on only symptoms and simple memory tests is unreliable, as at least 20% of cases are misdiagnosed, and many demented patients have other forms of dementia such as frontotemporal or Lewy Body dementia that can be confused with AD. For example, blood pressure control in vascular dementia is very important.
https://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/news/2 ... /genematch to track your medical history and see if you are eligible on the basis of your Apoe status for a clinical trial of an investigational drug to prevent AD. Sharon, you are not alone and you know how important it is to prevent AD. Eighty per cent of clinical trials fail, not because the drugs or interventions prove ineffective, but because of a lack of volunteers.
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Re: Advantages of genetic testing on Bredesen protocol treatment?

Post by aphorist »

Sharon wrote:Hello

I am unfortunately in a position where I don’t need to get genetic testing to know I have a high risk of developing Alzheimer’s due to a strong family history. I pretty much assume I am a 4/4. As such I am trying to be proactive & follow the Bredesen protocol (slowly I am getting there!)

I have read Dr Bredesen’s book & done some research but I was hoping someone might be able to clearly explain to me what the advantages of getting genetic testing done is in terms of treatment? Or where I could find a clear outline of what you do differently based on each genetic status?
Information is power. Don't assume anything until you have data one way or another.
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Re: Advantages of genetic testing on Bredesen protocol treatment?

Post by Anna »

Sharon wrote:I am trying to weigh up in my mind whether the advantages out weigh the disadvantages but I don’t seem to be completely clear on the advantages. So for example in terms of treatment what does one do differently if you are an Apoe4 or e2? And how much difference does it make when implementing the protocol?
This is an excellent question. I did the testing in 2016 (via Promethease), found out I am 4/4, and still sometimes question whether the advantages of knowing outweigh the disadvantages. I currently lean toward being glad to have the knowledge, but unlike you, I wasn't thinking about Alzheimer's prevention and did not anticipate my 4/4 result. So it was a wake-up call -- basically the stimulus to learn as much as I can and make some important changes and pursue the basics of Bredesen's protocol with the help of a functional medicine doctor. However, the disadvantage is that I was devastated by the result. I grieved for a long time, and I believe this was hard on my health.

In terms of how AD prevention might differ based on ApoE status, I think the research still needs to catch up with this question. There is debate as to whether saturated animal fat might be best avoided by those with ApoE4. I believe somewhere in this site's wiki there is discussion of alcohol contributing to AD in those with ApoE4 while possibly preventing it (when used in moderation) in those without ApoE4. I've also heard the advice that those with ApoE4 should be more diligent in preventing head injuries, which increase AD risk. Sorry I don't have links to references; think of these items as things to investigate. But mostly, the preventative steps seem to be the same regardless of ApoE status.
~Anna
4/4 but so much more
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