7 replies to this topic

[Invariant]

Good news: finally, 23andme is reporting on APOE genotype. This is a very very important gene, linked to increased risk for alzheimer's (up to ~20x the risk) and cardiovascular disease. If you have a 23andme account, check it out. If not, this might be a reason to get tested..

I'm happy to find that I am homozygous e3, meaning I have normal risk. This is still 5% though, so AD is still on my list of things to watch.

[Gerald W. Gaston]

hmmm about to "opt-in" to see.


Edit:

results show: xxxxx does not have the APOE ε4 variant. APOE ε4 is not the only factor contributing to Alzheimer's. People without this variant can still develop Alzheimer's Disease.


odds calculator: 4.9 out of 100

Edited by frankbuzin, 15 April 2011 - 04:47 PM.

[platypus]

My panel does not include that test, bummer.

I'm wondering is there a suggested diet/supplement regimen for people with a single apoe4 gene, i.e. 15-20% of the population with European ancestry? Doing the full Alzheimer's protection regime might be overkill for this part of the population. People with two apoe4 genes or pre-dementia should probably do the full regime, but what about the rest of people at risk?

[distinct]

APOE ε4 variant here. Not very concerned at all.

[Invariant]

My panel does not include that test, bummer.

I'm wondering is there a suggested diet/supplement regimen for people with a single apoe4 gene, i.e. 15-20% of the population with European ancestry? Doing the full Alzheimer's protection regime might be overkill for this part of the population. People with two apoe4 genes or pre-dementia should probably do the full regime, but what about the rest of people at risk?

Yeah, it's only available on the v3 platform apparently..

I don't know what would constitute an "Alzheimer's regimen", apart from basic things like excercise and nutrition (curcumin, blueberries & green tea come to mind). Nevertheless, I think Alzheimer's should be high on anyones priority list (and certainly still is on mine), given the relatively high prevalence and the fact is will probably be hard to treat/reverse. 23andme tells me I have a reduced risk for AD (0.67x) and an increased risk for exfoliation glaucoma (2.9x), but still my absolute risk for AD is 4.9% and only 2.2% for EG; don't be fooled by relative values. Also, I personally consider any neurodegenerative disorder to be more serious than other diseases, because it appears to me that - by the time I'm old enough to be affected by age related disease - we'll be able to cure most of them by replacement of bodyparts; either by sophisticated hardware or biotech. Replacing (parts of) the brain while maintaining the same sense of self seems further off though..

[platypus]

APOE ε4 variant here. Not very concerned at all.

How about the possible connection between alcohol consumption, apoe4 and dementia? Should carriers become teetotallers latest by mid-life?

[Gerald W. Gaston]

I don't know what would constitute an "Alzheimer's regimen", apart from basic things like excercise and nutrition (curcumin, blueberries & green tea come to mind). Nevertheless, I think Alzheimer's should be high on anyones priority list (and certainly still is on mine), given the relatively high prevalence and the fact is will probably be hard to treat/reverse. 23andme tells me I have a reduced risk for AD (0.67x) and an increased risk for exfoliation glaucoma (2.9x), but still my absolute risk for AD is 4.9% and only 2.2% for EG; don't be fooled by relative values. Also, I personally consider any neurodegenerative disorder to be more serious than other diseases, because it appears to me that - by the time I'm old enough to be affected by age related disease - we'll be able to cure most of them by replacement of bodyparts; either by sophisticated hardware or biotech. Replacing (parts of) the brain while maintaining the same sense of self seems further off though..

We have the exact same risk listed for AD and EG.. Though I think for AD a 4.9% is listed as 0.69x

As to what to do about AD, here is a comment from a poster on 23andme that has APOe4:

I DO SOMETHING about it and take 500mg caffeine / day and 3000 mg timed-release niacinamide (not niacin!) 2x daily.
23andMe doesn't bother to mention THAT research:
http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/19581722
http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/20182054
http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/20182036
http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/12099922
http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/18987186

[distinct]

APOE ε4 variant here. Not very concerned at all.

How about the possible connection between alcohol consumption, apoe4 and dementia? Should carriers become teetotallers latest by mid-life?

Hmmm, that's a good question. I'm rather a drinker, though not a "heavy drinker", nor have I ever been. I don't see myself quitting my daily glass or two of wine though. I suppose life in general is a roll of the dice.