Six months ago I wrote about taking action steps now to reduce my risk of developing Alzheimer’s or some other dementia in the future. I know unless you are in your 60’s or older you probably don’t have Alzheimer’s on your mind (pun intended). 

Here are the action steps I listed:

• Continue my relentless focus on reversing type 2 diabetes - Check, still on it.
• Stay focused on getting good quality sleep every night - Check, and writing a book about it.
• Learn more about Alzheimer’s prevention (starting with https://www.alzu.org) and learn about longevity medicine - Semi-Check, I have been listening to Dr. Attia’s podcasts and learning more about longevity medicine, but beyond that, I have not pursued any other learning.
• Get more specific lab tests including ApoE genetic test and NMR Lipoprofile to determine my risk profile. Check and Check. This brings me to my results for ApoE. The NMR results deserve a post all to themselves.

ApoE is a protein involved in clearing harmful plaques that form around nerve cells in the brain. These plaques are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease and consist of damaged proteins called amyloid-B which stick together to form the toxic plaques. There are three possible types of ApoE protein, called E2, E3, and E4. The E2 form is the most effective at removing plaque from the brain and subsequently is protective against Alzheimer’s disease. The E4 form of the ApoE protein is not very effective at removing plaque and carries an increased risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. The E3 form falls in the middle and represents no increased risk. These proteins are also a marker for risk of cardiovascular disease. 

You inherit one from your mother and one from your father resulting in six possibilities. E2/E2, E2/E3, E2/E4, E3/E3, E3/E4, E4/E4. The combination of E2/E2 represents the lowest risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. The combination of E4/E4 represents a significantly increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and cardiovascular disease.

My dad developed Lewy body dementia and had complications from type 2 diabetes. This concerned me enough that I wanted to take this test to find out my risk. Getting my result was really about knowing whether I’m in the “increased risk” bucket. I received my results.

E3/E3

If I had E3/E4 or E4/E4, then I would have had to really dig into the research and be vigilant about playing the cards I was dealt with. 

Overall I’m happy with my result. Based on this one genetic marker, I am not at increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease or cardiovascular disease. That doesn’t mean I’m going to skip to my loo and not take care of myself, of course. Type 2 diabetes, itself, represents major risks to brain function and the cardiovascular system. 

I purchased my ApoE genetic test through LifeExtension.com. It is a simple cheek swab. The ApoE genetic test is currently US $150, but I snagged mine when they had one of their 50% off sales.