Alzheimer's and neurodegenerative diseases - What is a good strategy for prevention?
Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Lewy body dementia are on the rise. In the US alone, 6 million people have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, another 1.4 million have Lewy body dementia, and a further 1 million have Parkinson's.
Once diagnosed with it, there is currently no cure.
Therefore, the best strategy here is to do something proactive and preventative NOW, so that you minimize the chances of being affected by one of these diseases.
Be aware: Inaction can therefore become very costly when it comes to your quality of life and health in old age!
The APOE gene
To better understand the risk factors for Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases, I like to look at the APOE gene here in my epigenetics practice, which is already included in my standard DNA Health Test.
The APOE gene is responsible, among other things, for cholesterol transport to the brain , but also for glucose metabolism .
Several variants of the APOE gene, known as SNPs ( Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms ), have been scientifically studied over the years. For this gene , there are e2 , e3 , and e4 variants.
Those carrying the e4 variant (perhaps even two copies) have up to a 12 times higher probability of developing Alzheimer's disease during their lifetime compared to someone with the e3 variant. The e2 version appears to offer some benefit, with a 10-20% lower risk. Overall, the e4 variant (allele) is found in only 2-3% of the population.
At the same time, the e4 variant also increases the risk of developing other neurodegenerative diseases. The e4 variant also promotes the development of metabolic syndrome .
There are other Alzheimer's risk factors.
The risk increases further if you are both Caucasian and female .
Regardless of the APOE variant, the risk of Alzheimer's disease is twice as high in women as in men.
For women with one copy of the e4 variant, the risk is up to 4 times higher compared to a man with the e4 variant.
It is assumed that the problem arises during menopause when estrogen levels drop sharply, especially for carriers of the e4 variant. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHT) could therefore be very helpful as part of preventative measures.
Therefore, it is important to have a good understanding of one's own genetics in order to be informed about such factors. This knowledge allows one to optimize their prevention strategy.
To make this clear:
Having an e4 variant does not mean that there is a problem at the moment, but merely that this will pose a risk in 20-30 years in the future.
But even if you have an e2 or e3 variant, you can still develop Alzheimer's disease.
This means that in all cases, prevention is the best strategy.
How can one proactively prevent this?
As mentioned, these neurodegenerative diseases develop over decades.
The exact cause of the disease is also unknown. Several plausible hypotheses exist. For example , amyloid plaque deposits in the brain could play a role in the disease.
However , reduced blood flow to the brain can also contribute to the development of the disease. Therefore, the health of the blood vessels plays a crucial role. If the supply of glucose to the neurons is impaired, an energy crisis can occur in the brain, which then damages the neurons.
Scientists also see a link between Alzheimer's and metallic dysfunction . If someone has type 2 diabetes , their risk of developing Alzheimer's can triple.
As a biohacker, you can quickly identify three preventative strategies here:
Minimize amyloid plaque deposits
Increase metabolic fitness
Optimize blood vessels and blood flow
Scientific studies have shown that interventions based on diet , exercise , lifestyle , relevant micronutrients and mental training can be helpful in prevention.
Increase your metabolic fitness
This is where you should start. Our goal here is to improve glucose metabolism , minimize (silent) inflammation , and reduce oxidative stress . This is especially important for carriers of the e4 variant.
Examples of interventions include a dietary change to a Mediterranean or ketogenic diet . This also involves an increased focus on monounsaturated fatty acids (olive oil, avocado, macadamia nuts, almonds, cashews, etc.) with few simple carbohydrates and the regular consumption of fatty fish (salmon, cod, etc.).
The brain can work very well with ketones as an energy source, therefore a ketogenic diet in combination with intermittent fasting is a good option to increase its metabolic flexibility.
Supplementation with omega-3 oil , especially with a high DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) content, could be very helpful for carriers of the e4 variant. A higher dose is most likely needed here due to the difficulty in efficiently transporting nutrients to the brain in e4 carriers.
In any case, you should minimize typical carbohydrate bombs and sugar , but also eliminate (or minimize) alcohol .
What brings the most benefit?
In fact, regular exercise and movement seem to be the winner here. It helps manage glucose levels and improves blood vessels at the same time. I prefer a combination of regular:
HIIT training (100m sprint, 90 seconds rest, repeat 3-4 times) , twice a week
Endurance training (cycling, jogging, swimming, etc.), at least twice a week
Minimally effective strength training , twice a week
This provides a good foundation for optimizing your mitochondria. At the same time, it also improves the breakdown of stress hormones, such as elevated cortisol.
I like to combine this with IHHT altitude training. In my experience, this leads to very rapid and lasting results, increasing the quality and quantity of your mitochondria. I offer IHHT cell training here at my epigenetics practice. You can find more information on my website.
To assess someone's strength, I often determine their grip strength index in my epigenetics practice. Scientific studies have shown that improved grip strength is associated with a lower risk of dementia.
A key element of the overall strategy is sleep optimization , specifically optimizing deep sleep phases. Our brain detoxifies itself every night during deep sleep, thus counteracting the buildup of amyloid plaque. It's like a kind of "sweeping the street," removing everything that's no longer needed. If deep sleep phases are too short, this cleansing process cannot be thorough enough.
The time to act is (always) now!
I hope that reading this has made you aware of the urgency of taking proactive action.
Sitting around and doing nothing is a strategy that can become very expensive here.
How do you get started?
Above are some ideas and the overall strategy that I think makes sense here. Perhaps you're already doing one or two of them.
If you don't know your APOE variant, I recommend having it determined via a DNA test. It's a simple at-home test, and you'll have clarity within 2-3 weeks. You can then optimize your prevention strategy accordingly.
I would be happy to support you in optimizing your own health through a comprehensive epigenetic assessment and coaching. I will offer you suitable options based on your current challenges and goals.
Your,
Reiner
💪 There's so much you can do these days to sustainably optimize your health through #epigenetics and #biohacking. Check out my Longevity Coaching training .
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