Lifestyle changes may not help Apoe4s

[mike]

In my mind, this does not show that lifestyle changes are futile for E4s. Perhaps we need more and earlier lifestyle improvements than E3s for the same cognitive benefit, and E3s need more lifestyle improvements than E2s. Just like we require more omega-3s than E3s.

Recent studies are showing that damage is happening prior to symptoms. I think what this is saying is that we need to do the lifestyle changes when we are younger to prevent early damage that escalates over time. I'm not giving up on lifestyle changes, but I'm hoping that I'm not too late...

[floramaria]

Recent studies are showing that damage is happening prior to symptoms. I think what this is saying is that we need to do the lifestyle changes when we are younger to prevent early damage that escalates over time. I'm not giving up on lifestyle changes, but I'm hoping that I'm not too late...

Acknowledging that my opinion may be an example of confirmation bias at work I still want to reply that I do not think that you or anyone else here is "too late"! As others have pointed out, what we call "a healthy life style" in this community, and what is "a healthy lifestyle" in these studies are not the same. As Jmac said earlier in this thread, "many of us are following an ultra-ultra-healthy lifestyle".

[hairyfairy]

If what that study says is true, then I might as well eat & drink what I want, because denying myself won`t help me avoid dementia.

[mike]

If what that study says is true, then I might as well eat & drink what I want, because denying myself won`t help me avoid dementia.

I think what it says is you can't start too soon - that you should not wait to change lifestyle until you start to get symptoms.

[frankiesfriend]

After spinal fusion surgery on my lower back six years ago, I developed neuropathic symptoms (deep, aching pain and parathesias in my legs and feet), which greatly impacted my stamina and mobility. My neurologist prescribed gabapentin for neuropathy, but offered no other treatment. I sought a second opinion at a large teaching hospital in central Florida, where physical therapy was suggested. Since these therapies did not help much, I gave up on conventional medicine and sought out a Chinese medicine doctor who performed acupuncture and totally upended (and corrected) what I had thought was a healthy diet. Over the next several years, my neuropathy healed, and I was able to resume many of the activities I had abandoned. Neuropathy – essentially nerve dysfunction - is typically caused by many of the same metabolic disturbances that are prime suspects in the development of AD: diabetes; toxins; direct nerve trauma; B12 deficiency; viral attack; heavy metals, alcoholism, Lyme disease. All of these tested negative for me, so there was no specific medical therapy available - only a drug that addressed the symptoms to a degree but with side effects. Conventional medical thinking was not helpful, but alternative medicine was. Because I was able to experience significant healing in the peripheral nerves with (the right) lifestyle interventions, I am convinced of the soundness of the lifestyle approach to preventing and treating AD.

I can’t say that I have been good to my body and health throughout my 69 years, far from it, but I still have hope that the diet-exercise-meditation-supplement regimen I have adopted over the last few years will either prevent AD pathology (so likely at my age and APOE3/4) from converting to MCI/AD or at least extend my healthy years. That is…if I can improve my sleep. I’m still looking for help with that, having adopted all of the typical sleep hygiene suggestions. That is still a hole in my roof.