MY STORY REVISITED #209-APOE 4 THEN AND NOW
tomorrow morning i will do an hour zoom interview with being patient.com about my having the apoe4 apoe4 gene
its called the late onset alzheimers gene
some recent researchers think that if you have the homozygous apoe4 apoe4 that you will get alzheimers later in life
not everyone believes that
it does increases your risk significantly
the article below is about maybe why we evolved to have the apoe 4 gene
it in this article provided a evolutionary advantage against intestinal worms
read the below article
being patient is interviewing a group of us with the apoe4 gene to get our thoughts about our having it
they would like you to take a survey on the apoe4 gene
here is the link
i did the survey today
my story is i volunteered in 2010 to be in the adni alzheimers research study
i was to be in the normal control group
when i had my memory testing it showed i had memory loss thought to be mci or mild cognitive impairment that has turned out to be due to alzheimers disease
i stopped my medical practice and was started on aricept to slow down symptoms
as part of my work up i did my apoe4 genetic test
it showed i have homozygous or double version of the apoe4 gene
i got one from my mom and one from my dad
that gene affects cholesterol metabolism
it is associated with an increased risk for late onset alzheimers
and
high cholesterol
and
because of the high cholesterol
an increased incidence of heart disease and strokes
not a good thing to have this apoe 4 gene
unless
you are in a primitive tribe who dies young it protects your brain
see blog below
__________
01-13-2017
the apoe 4 gene
if you have it increases your chance of developing
late onset alzheimers disease
what that means is that
you tend to get the disease later in life
in your late 60s or 70s or sometimes in your 80s
if you get the single variant apoe 4
your chances are doubled or some say increased 5 times
same as someone who has diabetes they dont control
if you get the double variant apoe 4/apoe 4
your chances are increased from 5-20 times
based on which source you read
i have the double variant apoe 4/apoe 4 gene
putting me for high risk of developing late onset
alzheimers disease
those with the apoe 4 gene also have
elevated cholesterol levels
leading to more heart disease and strokes
the percentage of the apoe 4 gene is about 25%
in the white us population
the percentage of the apoe 4 gene is about 33%
in norway
so
why did evolution have this gene be so prevalent
in our population
usually bad genes kill you off early
so
its prevalence stays low
so why evolution did you create this damn
apoe 4 gene to cause us and our families such misery
why
was it naturally selected to be here now
now years and years and years ago
well
folks didnt live to be 70 and 80
they died in their 20s and 30s
so
the apoe 4 gene causing alzheimers disease
well
it was a non factor
so
scientists have found in the amazon
no not the drone people
the amazon river place in brazil
there is a population of folks
isolated from the world
that go about their business as they have for
hundreds or thousands of years
they get intestinal parasites or worms real bad
it seems that those with the apoe 4 gene
for some reason
seem to have better memory as they age
the apoe 4 gene provides some protective measure
to these individuals brain
scientists think that the apoe 4 carries the cholesterol
to the brain but keeps the worms from getting any of it
so
isnt fate strange
a gene protects folks in a primitive tribe
but
kills folks in a more advanced society
where there is sanitation clean water and refrigeration
now the natural selection is going the other way
there is less advantage to have the apoe 4 gene
i say none
there is now more advantage to have the milder gene apoe 2 or apoe3
makes you wonder huh
here is an article that discusses this
__________
some people who have their apoe4 done get terrified
it ruins their lives
i have a different perspective
it makes you or it should refocus you on maintaining a healthy life style
controlling your weight your blood pressure your cholesterol your blood sugar
not smoking
not drinking or limiting alcohol
staying active socially mentally physically
eating the mind diet or similar diet
controlling stress anxiety depression
getting adequate sleep
these are things that we all should be doing anyway
many think you can counter the apoe4 gene effects by doing all these during your lifetime
it will be interesting to see what questions the interviewers ask me tomorrow
my view of apoe4 then and now have changed
back in 2011 when i had my apoe4 test done and i got my results i was quite melancholic after i got the results
today i dont feel that way
i am glad i know
like i am glad i know i have alzheimers so i can deal with it and maintain my health
it does incentivize you some well a lot actually to know you have apoe4 apoe4
then it scared me
now not so much
post interview entry
i had a good interview with the being patient director
it lasted over an hour
we spoke a lot about my journey over the last 14 years
and
discussed how i felt to have done my apoe4 status
i said what i wrote above
i was melancholic for awhile
it took me several weeks to months to really understand the apoe4 gene and what affects it can have on your health
many folks dont want to know
i am glad i did mine and know
she also would like me to write a couple of articles on my story and my thoughts on having the apoe4 gene for her website
ill post those when they are printed
being patients would like for you to fill out a survey that is anonymous on the apoe4 gene
here again is the link to take the survey
it takes only a few minutes
i am glad i have had my apoe4 status done
plus i have had an amyloid pet scan and lots of memory tests so i know where i am at in the disease process
now i just wait for science to tell me when to get treated again
there are now a lot of people who have been treated like me to remove all our amyloid plaque
we are just waiting to find out what to do next
the organicgreen doctor
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