Recently I listened to an episode of Dr. Peter Attia’s podcast addressing Alzheimer’s disease. Peter’s guest was Richard Isaacson, a neurologist who specializes in Alzheimer’s disease. 

Anyone with a brain is at risk for Alzheimer’s. –Richard Isaacson

It is somewhat scary to think that your actions and behaviors now will affect your health and quality of life 20-30 years in the future. Richard indicated that some people may start to show the biological changes that are related to Alzheimer’s disease twenty or more years before showing symptoms. 

One fact that surprised me is that only recently has there even been an acknowledgment in the scientific community about the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, scientific journals used to refuse to publish articles if they used the phrase “Alzheimer’s prevention.” They wanted the word “prevention” changed to “risk reduction.”

Many people plan for retirement to ensure they have enough money in their golden years. But how many people plan for health? Sure, there are plenty of diseases and afflictions that you cannot control, but scientific data are becoming more and more clear that behavior and lifestyle choices have a huge effect on overall health and wellbeing. 

Knowledge is not power. Knowing is not enough. So what am I doing with this knowledge?

My Action steps:

• Continue my relentless focus on reversing type 2 diabetes
• Stay focused on getting good quality sleep every night
• Learn more about Alzheimer’s prevention (starting with https://www.alzu.org) and learn about longevity medicine
• Get more specific lab tests including ApoE genetic test and NMR Lipoprofile to determine my risk profile

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It is a myth that only old people need to worry about Alzheimer’s disease. We are seeing more data that suggest this disease starts many years before the symptoms actually appear. I know that the choices I make in my 40s are going to affect my longevity and healthspan in my 60’s, 70’s and beyond.

So of the four action steps I mentioned, I completed all of them. Reversed type 2 diabetes. Relentless focus on getting good sleep every night. It helps to have a Facebook page that is a constant reminder. I have been learning about Alzheimer’s prevention and overall brain health by reading studies and books. My Brain Health collection is where I’ve been keeping track of my notes and action items from the latest book The End of Mental Illness by Dr. Daniel Amen. I got my ApoE test, which I wrote about in this post. 

I wouldn’t say I’m worried about my brain health; I’m just focused on preserving it. There are transplants for organs. If your body starts breaking down, there are ways to get around and do things. There is no replacement for a healthy brain. Once your brain starts malfunctioning, that’s when you’ve really got problems. I know I can’t control everything, but I take responsibility for the choices that are within my control.