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A primer for newbies and old pros alike.
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GLS18
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Re: Welcome!!!

Post by GLS18 »

Ned wrote:Hello everybody.
I have just found out that I am homozygous for APOE-ε4 and my wife is APOE-ε3/APOE-ε4. Yesterday evening we told our son. Feeling a bit dazed now.
Hi Ned,

A warm welcome to our wonderfully supportive community!

As NF52 beautifully conveyed, there is much hope available now in preventing and reversing cognitive decline. Lifestyle factors such as sleep, stress transformation, relaxation, diet, nutrition, exercise/movement and relationships all play a profound role in whether our genes will be “turned on.” In fact, genes only account for 25% of the equation.

It is completely normal to feel “dazed” upon hearing of your ApoE4 status. Please know that you and your family have the support of our members. Additional resources, as NF52 mentioned, to enrich and empower you are the Primer, How To Get The Most Out Of the ApoE4.Info Website, and the ApoE4.Info Wiki.

We look forward to learning more about you through your questions, insights and comments.

Again, a warm welcome:)
Gina
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach
Reversing Cognitive Decline For Coaches Certification Candidate, Fall 2018
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." - Mahatma Gandhi
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CoachJD
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Re: Welcome!!!

Post by CoachJD »

Hello, Ned and welcome to our community! You've landed in a great place, full of caring and knowledgeable people who support each other with information and inspiration. You'll find a wealth of information in the WIKI and from posting your questions or asking for help. As NFR2 advises, genes are not our destiny, so educating yourself about how you can have power over your triggers is the best thing you can do for yourself, and this website will offer you a lot of what you need. Knowledge is power!

I am so impressed that you and your wife shared you DNA status with your son. That takes courage and speaks to the solidarity of your family, that you are all in it together. My wish and hope for you is that you stay together in good health and fight the good fight to stay that way. Let us all know how we can support you (and thanks for the awesome mayo recipe!)
Joan Dickason, FMCHC
National Board Certified- Health and Wellness Coach
Reversing Cognitive Decline For Coaches, CertificationPending Fall 2018
"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional " Haruki Muraka
Ned
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Re: Welcome!!!

Post by Ned »

Good morning Joan, and thank you for your comments.

Finding out our status for our son was a major driver in our decision to get tested.

My mother died in a care-home with undiagnosed pre-senile dementia at age 64. My mental faculties have been noticeably declining for five years or so (I have to use spell checkers, I can't do mental arithmatic, I have to be told things at least three times before I can be relied upon to remember them, I am forgetting how to do things that have been second nature since I was in my teens).

We could all see the need to be better informed.

My wife's doctoral thesis was in genetics (plant genetics but the principles are the same). My degree is physics and mathematics. Our son read chemistry. So we are all aware of the science and the implications.

Our son plans to get tested as soon as possible so that together we can consider plans for our grandchildren - now one and three.

I intend to post accounts of my progress as much as I am able.

All the above not withstanding I am reasonably content. I know from my mother's experience that the sadness will pass as I lose my ability to recall how I used to be. In the meantime my life is not without joy and I can still take pleasure in my friends and my family.
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Re: Welcome!!!

Post by Julie G »

All the above not withstanding I am reasonably content. I know from my mother's experience that the sadness will pass as I lose my ability to recall how I used to be. In the meantime my life is not without joy and I can still take pleasure in my friends and my family.
Ned, I'm curious about your age. You seemed resigned to your fate. Recent scientific evidence is providing signals that there are strategies we can employ to improve cognition even once symptoms have begun. This Discover magazine article gives a nice summary. You may also want to read The End of Alzheimer's for a deeper understanding of the scientific theory behind the recommendations. I'm a sister 4/4 who has experienced significant cognitive improvement since following this approach. Genetics are not destiny.
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Re: Welcome!!!

Post by NonnaEgea »

I stumbled onto this site and have devoured the primer and most of the contents practically nonstop over last 48 hrs. I am a 70 year old female, very intrested in health and keeping as fit as possible. I am not overweight (5' 125 lbs with a lot of muscle) nor do I have diabetes even though there are many in my family that do. My A1C hovers at 5.6 - 5.9. The lipids are slightly over and sometimes normal. My practitioner constantly tells me I should have lower ldl because of my stent and wants me to take statins but other than the 1st year (5 yrs ago) I no longer take them. She says not to worry about becoming diabetic even though I sometimes have tingling in my foot. I have an APOC3 normal gene? I don't know about the APO 4. Do you recommend any initial testing to make sure that I am staying healthy and on the right track to avoid the Alzheimer bullet. I live in Mexico 7 months and in Oregon rest of the year. I definately plan to get the fasting insulin test either here in Mexico or as soon as I return in May.

I tryly appreciate your feedback.

NonnaEgea
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floramaria
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Re: Welcome!!!

Post by floramaria »

NonnaEgea wrote:I stumbled onto this site and have devoured the primer and most of the contents practically nonstop over last 48 hrs. I am a 70 year old female, very intrested in health and keeping as fit as possible. I am not overweight (5' 125 lbs with a lot of muscle) nor do I have diabetes even though there are many in my family that do. My A1C hovers at 5.6 - 5.9. The lipids are slightly over and sometimes normal. My practitioner constantly tells me I should have lower ldl because of my stent and wants me to take statins but other than the 1st year (5 yrs ago) I no longer take them. She says not to worry about becoming diabetic even though I sometimes have tingling in my foot. I have an APOC3 normal gene? I don't know about the APO 4. Do you recommend any initial testing to make sure that I am staying healthy and on the right track to avoid the Alzheimer bullet. I live in Mexico 7 months and in Oregon rest of the year. I definately plan to get the fasting insulin test either here in Mexico or as soon as I return in May.

I tryly appreciate your feedback.

NonnaEgea
Welcome to the Community NonnaEgea!

You have found a tremendous source of information and support here, for keeping as healthy and fit as possible. You have taken a deep dive, over the past few days, and it may take some time to fully digest all that you have read. You might do further research in areas that interest you by looking at the WiKi (access at top of page). And in case you have not found it yet, you can do a search for any topic using the spyglass to the left of your name. Though many of us here carry one or two copies of the ApoE4 allele, the recommendations in the Primer would apply to anyone seeking to optimize health. I don't have any knowledge of the ApoC3 gene. In terms of initial testing, again, I think that Stavia's list of tests in the Primer is a great place to start. If there are any things in that round of testing that are out of range, you could focus your attention on correcting those. that would be a good start towards being sure you are on track. HbA1c between 5.6 and 5.9 would be considered high by many doctors. When mine was 5.7, my doctor said it was pre-diabetes and advised that I bring it down, which I have done through diet changes.
In The End of Alzheimer's, the author, Dr Bredesen, recommends HbA1c less than 5.6. (pg 123)
Knowing your fasting insulin level and your fasting glucose could also be valuable markers.
Do you have any reason to be specifically concerned about cognitive issues, either because of something you have noticed in yourself or a family history? Or are you, with your interest in maintaining your health, just wanting to be sure you are covering all areas and not overlooking anything ?
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ReCODE 2.0 Health Coach with Apollo Health
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GLS18
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Re: Welcome!!!

Post by GLS18 »

NonnaEgea wrote:I stumbled onto this site and have devoured the primer and most of the contents practically nonstop over last 48 hrs. I am a 70 year old female, very intrested in health and keeping as fit as possible. I am not overweight (5' 125 lbs with a lot of muscle) nor do I have diabetes even though there are many in my family that do. My A1C hovers at 5.6 - 5.9. The lipids are slightly over and sometimes normal. My practitioner constantly tells me I should have lower ldl because of my stent and wants me to take statins but other than the 1st year (5 yrs ago) I no longer take them. She says not to worry about becoming diabetic even though I sometimes have tingling in my foot. I have an APOC3 normal gene? I don't know about the APO 4. Do you recommend any initial testing to make sure that I am staying healthy and on the right track to avoid the Alzheimer bullet. I live in Mexico 7 months and in Oregon rest of the year. I definately plan to get the fasting insulin test either here in Mexico or as soon as I return in May.

I tryly appreciate your feedback.

NonnaEgea
Hi NonnaEgea and a warm welcome to our community!

Your zest and dedication to your health is wonderful. It is no small feat to make most of your way through the Primer in 2 days!

I'm curious as to what led you to our site. Floramaria provided excellent resources and you may also find the brilliant guide, How To Get The Most Out Of the ApoE4.Info Website, helpful to more effectively navigate the site. If you are unsure of your ApoE4 status, you may want to consider testing. For example, you can obtain your status through 23 and me and then have the raw data converted via a tool such as Promethease. Understanding your status can be beneficial in tailoring a plan best suited to your needs. For detailed information about testing, Thinking About Testing? is a fantastic place to begin.

Something to keep in mind is that Dr. Bredesen through his RECODE (Reversing Cognitive Decline) Protocol strives for optimal numbers with lab results and not "normal" ranges that most conventional doctors rely on.

We look forward to your continued contributions!
Gina
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach
Reversing Cognitive Decline For Coaches Certification Candidate, Fall 2018
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." - Mahatma Gandhi
Raprimo
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Re: Welcome!!!

Post by Raprimo »

Hi, my name is Raul and i have my mom with alzheimer for a long long time, i wish help her ,
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floramaria
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Re: Welcome!!!

Post by floramaria »

Raprimo wrote:Hi, my name is Raul and i have my mom with alzheimer for a long long time, i wish help her ,
Hello Raul, and welcome. Your mom is so fortunate to have a son who is concerned about her health and wanting to help her.
A good starting place for getting acquainted with the wealth of information on this site is to begin with the Primer. You can find that by going to Welcome (in the top bar). and you will come to a link to the primer. That will give you a good overview and help you to prioritize steps you might support your mom in making.
As you read through that information in the Primer, please feel free to ask questions that come up for you.
Best wishes to you and to your mom.
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Re: Welcome!!!

Post by fxmedcoach »

Raprimo how fortunate your mom is to have a son that loves her enough to research and learn what can be done to support her health challenges. As floramaria states the Primer is a great place to start -- https://www.apoe4.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=1418. You can also find information through the Wikipedia page (click on the Wiki) tab at the top of the page. This is a great support network to ask questions, but also to read about the experiences of others. The key thing is you are not alone!! Let us know if you have any specific questions. Welcome to the group!!
Deborrah Cisneros
RN, FMCHC, NBC-HC, CGP
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