What's the best strategy?

[jimcrist]

I have a very good friend that's been diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer's. He's had cognitive tests and a PET scan. He's 72 and in good physical shape. He does have sleep apnea and uses a CPAP machine. His wife retired and is an excellent caregiver. I found a Bredesen practitioner here in Madison WI, Dr. Nicole Fenske. She has administered a number of tests and has recommended certain supplements. I'm not totally in the loop, but here's what I know about which tests he had:

Micronutrient Spec Lab 84
CardioMetabolic Lab 9901
Lab.GDX.Elemental Analysis Lab 96.2 -> Mercury
TSH, Free T4, Free T3, pregnenalone, DHEA sulfate, and testosterone

I don't think the above tests revealed anything that was way out of whack, but they're giving him supplements and trying to adjust his diet. I know there's at least three dozen factors to test for. I don't know how many the above list represents. What's the best strategy? Should we wait 3-4 months and see if the current treatment plans shows improvement? Does the above list represent a good starter set or are there other priority tests that should be done immediately? Should they pay for every possible test right away to see if one or more of them are way out of whack?

Lastly, a sizable majority of this forum focuses on diet. Is that really the biggest key to turning this around or just the easiest thing for people to focus on? Thanks for all the great support this forum provides!!
Jim

[slacker]

I have a very good friend that's been diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer's....

I don't think the above tests revealed anything that was way out of whack, but they're giving him supplements and trying to adjust his diet. I know there's at least three dozen factors to test for. I don't know how many the above list represents. What's the best strategy? Should we wait 3-4 months and see if the current treatment plans shows improvement? Does the above list represent a good starter set or are there other priority tests that should be done immediately? Should they pay for every possible test right away to see if one or more of them are way out of whack?

Lastly, a sizable majority of this forum focuses on diet. Is that really the biggest key to turning this around or just the easiest thing for people to focus on?

You are also a good friend, Jim.

There is not one best strategy; it has to be tailored to the individual and adjusted for what the person can afford. Dr Bredesen approaches Alzheimer's as an emergency, with time of the essence, and recommends complete testing to know up front what items need addressing. Many people can not afford this approach. The cardio metabolic panel you listed most likely included appropriate testing for insulin resistance, which is a big contributor. It doesn't look like the provider did any Bredesen defined "Type 3" Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) testing. This is the most nebulous category (IMHO) and is one of the more challenging contributors to AD to turn around. I think it takes additional education and a lot of experience for providers to become proficient in helping folks who are affected by CIRS.

I believe that most of our forum posters focus on lifestyle changes, including diet, as the necessary foundation to all else. My hunch is that most of us (but not all) are in prevention mode rather than attempting to reverse cognitive decline. There are many approaches to diet, and many controversies, so there is more to discuss on this topic than say, exercise. Just my perspective...

[xactly]

I would be inclined to say it's worth concentrating on all the major influence points because they are beneficial for health and longevity, regardless of the diagnosis. In my mind, those points of influence are: 1) exercise; 2) high quality sleep; 3) diet (including key supplements) ; 4) stress management; and 5) eliminating environmental toxins and treating prior exposure. Others I would add, if your friend is up for it are: 1) optimizing the microbiome (after processed and non-organic foods have been eliminated from the diet); 2) adding additional supplements recommended by Dr. Bredesen; and 3) taking an antiviral prophylatically, if your friend has recurring virus outbreaks. IMO, all older adults should get the Shingrix vaccine.