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A primer for newbies and old pros alike.
790alison
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Re: Welcome!!!

Post by 790alison »

Hi everyone, Having lost my mother over a ten year period to alzheimer's, my sister and I have been visiting a UK dr who specialises in nutritional medicine. My sister is apoe3/3 but I am apoe2/4. Im trying to get my head around what that means as the apoe2 seems to be a positive and the apoe4 a negative in terms of alzheimer's disease. I will take time to read a lot of the information on here and I have already read Dr Bresenden's book. I am hopeful that the information I have gathered from both the genetics test and other tests will allow my doctor to suggest supplements that will support a positive outlook looking forward. I am looking forward to the support of other apoe4 carriers. Alison
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CoachJD
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Re: Welcome!!!

Post by CoachJD »

Welcome 790alison! I hope you find this site and community an informative and inspiring resource for you and your sister on your wellness journey. You've already received advise about how to interpret your risk status from your genetics, but I want to share with you that your ApoE4 status is only one of many factors that will influence your overall health and risk of cognitive decline. Doing all you can to eat, sleep, rest and recreate well is critical as genetics are the loaded gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger! I 'retired' at 60 after a long and stressful career, and found joy in creating a whole new vocation for myself, and I encourage you to 'feed our head' with knowledge and challenges, and tap into your inner strengths with the courage to tackle something new that fills your heart. This can be an absolutely amazing chapter in your life! Enjoy!

I hope you'll keep us posted and participate in ongoing dialog with us.
Joan Dickason, FMCHC
National Board Certified- Health and Wellness Coach
Reversing Cognitive Decline For Coaches, CertificationPending Fall 2018
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carmen
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Re: Welcome!!!

Post by carmen »

Hi, I made my registration today.
I'm reading Dr. Dale E. Bredesen's book. I am portuguese and I apologize for my English. Thanks to Julie for creating this site. My maternal grandmother had Alzheimer's, I'm 45 years old and I already have some forgetfulness and difficulty speaking and I was alert. I'm going to take the APOE test. In the meantime I started my physical activity and caring for food. I have a lot of fear about Alzheimer's and I'm changing my lifestyle is not easy, but I will succeed. Initially I will read the shares on this site. Thank you very much for accepting my registration here.
Lucy5
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Re: Welcome!!!

Post by Lucy5 »

carment wrote: Hi, I made my registration today.
I'm reading Dr. Dale E. Bredesen's book. I am portuguese and I apologize for my English. Thanks to Julie for creating this site. My maternal grandmother had Alzheimer's, I'm 45 years old and I already have some forgetfulness and difficulty speaking and I was alert. I'm going to take the APOE test. In the meantime I started my physical activity and caring for food. I have a lot of fear about Alzheimer's and I'm changing my lifestyle is not easy, but I will succeed. Initially I will read the shares on this site. Thank you very much for accepting my registration here.
Hello Carmen and welcome to our community! I visited your beautiful country years ago and would love to go back some day. I tried to learn a little Portuguese before my trip, but despite my poor attempts, everyone was so kind and helpful So please, do not apologize for your English, it is excellent!!

I can certainly understand your concerns about Alzheimer’s after seeing your grandmother struggle with this disease. But, if I may, I’d like to suggest that at only 45 years old, you may want to look at possible other causes of your current concerns with forgetfulness, etc. For example, perhaps fluctuating hormones (common during this time of life), stress or poor sleep could be contributors? Certainly a general check-up and discussion with you family physician may be helpful if you continue to have concerns.

In any case, regular exercise, optimizing sleep, stress management and improving diet is a great plan to improve energy and overall health at any age. It's great to hear that you're already focusing on making some of these changes!

Carmen, in addition to reading Dr Bredesen's excellent book, we also highly recommend new members read our site Primer, written by a member doctor. It's a great way to learn more about our group as well as the ApoE4 gene. It also provides clear, prioritized lifestyle approaches to increasing our healthspan with much of it also applicable to those without this gene. Additionally, our How-To-Guide offers suggestions on how to use our website more easily. To search for topics discussed on our forums, just click on the magnifying glass along the top right of this page.

Carmen, please don't hesitate to ask questions of the group at any time as they come up. This is a very supportive community and we continue to learn so much from each other. I'm looking forward to hearing more about how you're doing!
warmly, Lucy
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Re: Welcome!!!

Post by srbogert »

carmen wrote:Hi, I made my registration today.
I'm reading Dr. Dale E. Bredesen's book. I am portuguese and I apologize for my English. Thanks to Julie for creating this site. My maternal grandmother had Alzheimer's, I'm 45 years old and I already have some forgetfulness and difficulty speaking and I was alert. I'm going to take the APOE test. In the meantime I started my physical activity and caring for food. I have a lot of fear about Alzheimer's and I'm changing my lifestyle is not easy, but I will succeed. Initially I will read the shares on this site. Thank you very much for accepting my registration here.
Hello Carmen! I'm glad that you found the APOE4.info site. We are here to support each other and share information. You are very welcome to participate! I just want to reinforce some of the points that Lucy made in her reply to your post. While the experience with your grandmother's illness was difficult, it is good to see that it motivates you to take control of your own health, and make healthy changes. At your age, you are probably not experiencing the same type of memory loss that your grandmother had, but it would be wise to work with your physician to find out what is happening and resolve it quickly. Issues like hormone imbalance, lack of sleep, stress, poor diet, etc, in your 40s can contribute to the formation of Alzheimer's and other serious conditions in later years. I congratulate you on the changes you have already made with diet and physical activity. Keep up the good work!!
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khooks03
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Re: Welcome!!!

Post by khooks03 »

Hi. I am 68 years old, and I found out that I'm APOE 4/4 last spring after searching for reasons for my increasing allergic/inflammatory reactions to first, dairy, at about age 30, then sweets, and finally grains. I hoped I wouldn't have Celiac Disease like my uncle who died from late-life complications from that disease and that I would instead have "leaky gut". Little did I realize that a genetic test would reveal my worst nightmare: that I have a high risk for Alzheimer's which took the life of my paternal grandmother and my mother.

Since that time my daughter also was tested and found that she's APOE 4/4. Our son, who has Crohn's Disease, has decided, wisely I believe, to postpone or permanently defer genetic testing. He certainly has enough on his plate without learning of another illness that might be lurking on the horizon.

I've been reading every book, article, and study I can find for nearly a year now. This information and misinformation are discouraging and confusing. I've spent a small fortune on vitamins and supplements, hoping to find one or two that would not trigger an immune response and instead would calm, or at least, not initiate sinus infections or joint pain. I've found a few and some are helpful, specifically methyl B12 and methyl folate. I also discovered that I had a serious B1 deficiency. Fish oil also gives some relief. Raw garlic is amazing! Very helpful! But it's almost impossible to stick with that dietary plus for social reasons. :-/.

It's obvious that the medical community---even neurologists---are ignorant of the specifics of this genetic trait. Most nutritionists are also. I'm highly suspicious of all the fad diets out there. After all, I've lived through a lifetime of them, though always been thin and haven't needed to diet. Now, after a no sugar, no grain, and no dairy diet, I am much, much thinner and perpetually hungry!

Fortunately, years ago when I found out that I have high cholesterol, I began eating a rigid no animal fat diet. About that same time, at age 38 or so, I also began jogging and doing some weight bearing exercises six days a week.

My biggest challenge is sleeping. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea about 9 years ago but when the guidelines were revised I no longer was considered a candidate for C-PAP and had to give up my machine. I also have GERD, very low blood pressure, and a husband with Parkinson's. That condition causes him to stay awake in the night and sleep during the day. I also as his only caretaker, which has greatly increased my stress level.

One positive: I'm a person of strong Christian faith and prayer. Scripture sustains me and keeps me on an even keel. I have many wonderful friends, a kind husband and children, and a large support group at my church and community. I'm counting my blessings for having lived so long without any signs of memory loss! However, both my mother and my grandmother were late-onset Alzies. My grandmother and my mother were diagnosed a year or two before their 80th birthday. I hope to avoid their fate. Thanks to all who will read and respond to this post!
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Re: Welcome!!!

Post by slacker »

khooks03 wrote: It's obvious that the medical community---even neurologists---are ignorant of the specifics of this genetic trait. Most nutritionists are also. I'm highly suspicious of all the fad diets out there. After all, I've lived through a lifetime of them, though always been thin and haven't needed to diet. Now, after a no sugar, no grain, and no dairy diet, I am much, much thinner and perpetually hungry!

My biggest challenge is sleeping. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea about 9 years ago but when the guidelines were revised I no longer was considered a candidate for C-PAP and had to give up my machine. I also have GERD, very low blood pressure, and a husband with Parkinson's. That condition causes him to stay awake in the night and sleep during the day. I also as his only caretaker, which has greatly increased my stress level.
Hi Khooks;

The Primer is a great place to learn about the basics, especially life style changes. You may find that adding more non-saturated fats (ex. olive oil, avocados) may help with the hunger and not worsen your cholesterol levels. We have members that disagree on the importance of high LDL as a risk factor for coronary artery disease. There is a chapter on sleep in the Primer as well. For a deeper dive on sleep, we have an excellent wiki entry.

One approach doesn't work for everyone, so it's important to experiment and see what works for you as an individual.
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Re: Welcome!!!

Post by NF52 »

khooks03 wrote:Hi. I am 68 years old, and I found out that I'm APOE 4/4 last spring after searching for reasons for my increasing allergic/inflammatory reactions to first, dairy, at about age 30, then sweets, and finally grains. I hoped I wouldn't have Celiac Disease like my uncle who died from late-life complications from that disease and that I would instead have "leaky gut". Little did I realize that a genetic test would reveal my worst nightmare: that I have a high risk for Alzheimer's which took the life of my paternal grandmother and my mother.
... I'm highly suspicious of all the fad diets out there. After all, I've lived through a lifetime of them, though always been thin and haven't needed to diet. Now, after a no sugar, no grain, and no dairy diet, I am much, much thinner and perpetually hungry!
Fortunately, years ago when I found out that I have high cholesterol, I began eating a rigid no animal fat diet. About that same time, at age 38 or so, I also began jogging and doing some weight bearing exercises six days a week.

My biggest challenge is sleeping. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea about 9 years ago but when the guidelines were revised I no longer was considered a candidate for C-PAP and had to give up my machine. I also have GERD, very low blood pressure, and a husband with Parkinson's. That condition causes him to stay awake in the night and sleep during the day. I also as his only caretaker, which has greatly increased my stress level...
Hi Khooks3,
I promise not to reply to every post you make! But since I am the senior support person "on duty" today, I thought I would offer a few thoughts on just a few items from this wonderful post--after first saying that your faith, your family and your friends sound like three amazing pillars of strength. And you must be a source of great strength to your husband as he deals with Parkinson's. I would suggest only that you consider having someone who might be able to stay with him on some overnights, if he cannot be awake by himself. A good friend who is a night owl, and would allow you to get a good night's sleep once a week, or even the expense of a home health aide overnight, might do wonders for your stress and your brain. Sometimes we help others best by taking care of ourselves.

Since you mentioned that you have always been thin, and now are losing weight, you may want to check out some of these posts:
"lindy" is a frequent contributor, who herself follows a vegan diet and has struggled with weight loss and following conflicting dietary advice. As you can see on this post, she got lots of helpful encouragement:
Help! I'm going under
And here is another on dietary nutrients for people with low BMI who do intermittent fasting:Maintaining weight with intermittent fasting
Finally, a pithy quote from Stavia, a family practitioner and 4/4 author of our wonderful resource, the Primer
Stavia wrote:
Jafa wrote:...I don’t have the luxury of risking 40 pounds, or even 4 pounds with a BMI around 19. Have decided that severe carb restriction is just too risky and as I never felt any better when I did achieve mild ketosis, it’s a low payoff strategy for me. I guess it just shows one recipe doesn’t work for us all. I have taken on board the elevated risk of sarcopaenia with insufficient protein intake and now aim for around 1.2g/kg per day, so around 60g/day. Carbs are around 80g/day, and on that regimen I run an HbA1c of 30 (5.0 US). Have retired the keto meter
Jafa I didnt know you were protein restricted? Yes of course you need protein!
4/4 and still an optimist!
Siouxie
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Re: Welcome!!!

Post by Siouxie »

I have FH and have just decided to come off all Statins :-)

My mother had alzheimers and passed away last week. I want to understand as much as possible to ensure I am making the right choices (if thats at all possible). I live in middle England :-) Looking forward to learning. I see a lipid specialist once a year - for about 5 minutes who says the exetimible/Rovustatin has reduced your cholesterol - see you in a year. Hmm. Lets see what he says In May when he sees I have stopped the statins and lost 2 stone
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Re: Welcome!!!

Post by Sara »

Siouxie wrote:I have FH and have just decided to come off all Statins :-)
Hi Siouxie and a warm welcome to the apoe4.info site! So sorry to hear about the passing of your mother and yet kudos to you for using this difficult time as a call to make healthier choices for yourself. You will find valuable information in our Primer which will support the lifestyle changes that you are making. Please keep us posted regarding your progress and let us know how the doctor takes this news when you see him in May. Warm Regard
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