Having a family history of dementia raises your risk, but genetics isn't destiny. APOE genetic testing can show your likelihood of Alzheimer's, and lifestyle changes like reducing inflammation, improving gut health, managing stress, and eating plant-based can lower your risk even if you carry the gene.
Questions this video answers
APOE (apolipoprotein E) genetic test.
Reduce inflammation; improve gut health; reduce toxic burden; manage stress; adopt a plant-based/vegetarian diet.
Heterozygous (one APOE allele).
Chapters
Another common question we get in our patients is, you know, my mom had dementia or my aunt has dementia. Am I risk for dementia? And sadly, again, when you go to your primary care, we don't have tools for prevention of dementia in conventional medicine. We have some medications to treat dementia or Alzheimer's, but they're not great. But when you have patients that come to you like that, Serena, what kind.
Of would your approach be? I think we have a Alzheimer's dementia test and we can. There's two that we use. We can either test for the genetic, the risk part. The apoe, which I know, I believe it's Chris Hemsworth, he made that quite popular when he tested positive for it. Knowing that you have that particular gene, SNP allows you to be in the seat of control, where you can make changes to your lifestyle to reduce your risk.
Exactly. I have the APOE gene. I have one of them. So I'm heterozygous, like one APOE gene. So I am at increased risk for Alzheimer's, and my grandfather had Alzheimer's. So things that I'm thinking about doing or I try and do for myself is reduce inflammation, improve gut health, reduce toxic burden, and manage stress.
And you eat a vegetarian diet.
And yes, being plant based is really important with an APOE gene, and that is difficult for a lot of patients, especially when it's culturally appropriate to eat a lot of meat.
