Age 67 - My plan to avoid Alzheimer's

I don't see a downside to better oral hygiene but I think we need to see confirmation not associated with a company that has a product
 
RHONDAVE said:
I was also tested last month by 23andme.
I was too afraid to look at the results at first.
My Father died from Alzheimers at 75, Mother at 82.
I have yet to look at specific Alzheimers result, I had that one masked.
I am 64.5 and afraid.
Click to expand...

Looking or being tested can be a hard decision. I opted to get the results since it would influence my life choices like when to retire. Although many of the interventions for brain health are the same as for the heart, having a test result can be motivating to actually follow through.
 
I decided to delete my DNA data from 23 and Me's database. You have the option to do this.

The Golden State killer was caught using the DNA data from the killer's relatives and not from the DNA from the killer himself.

My original thought process of not being concerned about my own privacy was flawed because I used the rationale that I am 67 and I have no criminal record.

However, I have a duty to protect the privacy of younger members of my family who share similar DNA.

It is not about my family having a criminal record. It is about preserving the privacy of my entire family.

I already got the information that I need so destroying the DNA records is probably the right thing to do.
 
I've been thinking the same way. I am in my 60's. So are my sibs (50's/60's) no extended family so what's the big deal? Then I remembered the plot of the movie Judge Dredd revolved around something like this. Being only slightly facetious. Genetic data being spread around? Seems like potential for spoofing down the road


vchan2177 said:
I decided to delete my DNA data from 23 and Me's database. You have the option to do this.

The Golden State killer was caught using the DNA data from the killer's relatives and not from the DNA from the killer himself.

My original thought process of not being concerned about my own privacy was flawed because I used the rationale that I am 67 and I have no criminal record.

However, I have a duty to protect the privacy of younger members of my family who share similar DNA.

It is not about my family having a criminal record. It is about preserving the privacy of my entire family.

I already got the information that I need so destroying the DNA records is probably the right thing to do.
Click to expand...
 
On the subject of good oral hygiene and Alzheimer's...Many websites that estimates your life expectancy would credit you 1 year or 2 years if you do not have gum disease.

This makes sense to me since bleeding gums may acts as a pathway for bacteria, viruses, and other foreign material to enter your bloodstream directly. Your skin and your gut does a good job on protecting you but once it is in your blood, it may migrate into your brain. Gum disease is also related to advanced age so I am beginning to connect the dots.

I had gum disease several years ago and I ended up getting my teeth cleaned 3 times a year instead of 2 times a year. This extra cleaning by a professional hygienist corrected my gum disease so I am back to 2 times a year.

Now that there is a connection with Alzhiemer's, I will probably to go back to 3 times a year which is every 4 months instead of every 6 months. I will pay the extra money to keep my teeth and my gum super clean. I had always used a mouthwash and brushing my teeth before going to bed. I will have to add water pik cleaning to the mix.
 
I'm reading a great book at the moment about Sleep which suggests having 8 hours sleep into older years is linked to avoiding alzheimers. It suggested that nrem sleep performs a nightly clean of the brain. As I enjoy sleep I'm in favour
 
vchan2177 said:
What you do during your retirement is really up to you.
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I'm late to this thread, but does one really need a gene test to get one to change to do all those things? Another thread on HbA1c had people changing only after learning of their results.

Even folks who don't have those genes should try almost all those things (one has to give up the steak house meals, too) if they want to reduce health care costs in the future.

As I noted before, maybe physicians should tell their patients lies about their "numbers" in order to get them to change their diet and exercise lifestyles?
 
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Is it worth it to be super healthy if you give up everything you enjoy? Like most things balance is better.
 
Teacher Terry said:
Is it worth it to be super healthy if you give up everything you enjoy? Like most things balance is better.
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Like a lady I know said when she decided to stop taking statins. "I don't want to be the person with the lowest cholesterol in the Alzheimers ward"
 
I still consider my original plan to avoid Alzheimer's to be reasonable. I exercise per American Heart Association because both my mother and father had congestive heart failure. I am learning another language to keep my brain active...which is a good thing. I follow the MIND diet because this is the recommended diet to avoid Alzheimer's.

Note that the MIND diet only "restricts" certain food such as red meat, sweets, white bread but does not "eliminate" the same certain food. Eating more fish, chicken and leafy luttuce and plant food should be a good thing. I do not do anything extreme. I still eat a good steak once in a while but avoid cheap red meat meals because I have a cap on how much red meat I should eat.

I guess what I am trying to say, a little change in your life can make a big difference down the road.

Whatever the American Heart Association and the Alzhiemer's Association recommend, then I adhere to those recommendations. I tend disregard some of the "noise" that is out there. The American Heart Association and the Alzhiemer's Association tend to filter out the noise out for me. I do read what other people have to say or type but I usually verify those recommendations before I take action.

For example, maintaining good oral hygiene makes sense so I do it. Another example, there is conflicting information on vitamins and supplements. Without a universal agreement, i tend not to do anything until those issues get sorted out. In the meantime, I will continue to eat healthy food and eat less unhealthy food.
 
RetMD21 said:
My friends over at ApoE4.info are worked up about an editorial at JAMA

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2723294?

I don't think any physicians are is opposed to a heart healthy diet and exercise but the concerns seem to be over the supplements and treatments for various toxicities (metal and mold related mostly)
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Oh, direct burn to the "The End of Alzheimers" book.

"A similarly concerning category of pseudomedicine involves interventions promoted by licensed medical professionals that target unsubstantiated etiologies of neurodegenerative disease (eg, metal toxicity; mold exposure; infectious causes, such as Lyme disease). "

Also the author of the book uses a lot of quotes from Feynman. The JAMA article uses a bunch of other quotes from Feynman about the scientific method.
 
Teacher Terry said:
IM, if you have Alzheimer’s I bet you aren’t at stage 4. I had a brilliant friend with a170 IQ that got it young in her mid 50’s. The doctors think she got it from having so much chemo over 8 years because her stage 4 ovarian cancer kept coming back. Also some medications and diseases mimic dementia so I would see a neurologist. I spent a lot of time with my friend and the decline was horrible. Wishing you the best.
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Just a bit about "stage four"... Not quite as bad as it sounds, and the 7 stages of AZ are somewhat arbitrary and not officially recognized. Here's one article that broadly explains what to expect. I think this should receive more notice.

https://blog.caregiverhomes.com/the-7-stages-of-alzheimers

IQ of 170 must have been devastating. My Wechsler Bellevue rating in 1989 was 145... Wouldn't like to take the test today. :(

I won't use the word struggle, but writing here isn't as easy as it was 7 years ago. Missing words, citations, spelling and infinite corrections and edits require a lot more effort. I use it as a means of therapy, and sometimes go back and ask, "OMG... did I write THAT?"
 
I wish you all the best. Please get checked just to make sure nothing else is going on that could be reversed.
 
misshathaway said:
Oh, direct burn to the "The End of Alzheimers" book.

"A similarly concerning category of pseudomedicine involves interventions promoted by licensed medical professionals that target unsubstantiated etiologies of neurodegenerative disease (eg, metal toxicity; mold exposure; infectious causes, such as Lyme disease). "

Also the author of the book uses a lot of quotes from Feynman. The JAMA article uses a bunch of other quotes from Feynman about the scientific method.
Click to expand...

Everybody likes Feynman quotes :). Dale Bresden has some anecdotal cases that are very encouraging and he admits that he doesn't know what is working but his followers are spending money and worrying about things like rbc levels of micro-nutrients on hunches rather than science. OTOH his hunches could be correct. I think the OP has the right idea. Do the basic things recommended by reputable organizations.

The other thing that makes me uncomfortable is that Bresden is selling classes and some sort of certification to medical professionals almost as if his ideas define a specialty.
 
imoldernu said:
Just a bit about "stage four"... Not quite as bad as it sounds, and the 7 stages of AZ are somewhat arbitrary and not officially recognized. Here's one article that broadly explains what to expect. I think this should receive more notice.

https://blog.caregiverhomes.com/the-7-stages-of-alzheimers

IQ of 170 must have been devastating. My Wechsler Bellevue rating in 1989 was 145... Wouldn't like to take the test today. :(

I won't use the word struggle, but writing here isn't as easy as it was 7 years ago. Missing words, citations, spelling and infinite corrections and edits require a lot more effort. I use it as a means of therapy, and sometimes go back and ask, "OMG... did I write THAT?"
Click to expand...
It's interesting that you say you have Alzheimer's as I was recently reading the following article. Inside was this part about how one professional diagnoses Alzheimer's:. The implication is that if you have Alzheimer's, you don't know you do? Are you familiar with that theory?


http://strokeconnection.strokeassociation.org/Winter-2019/When-They-Dont-Know-What-They-Dont-Know/

"It is possible to have a memory problem and be aware of it because that monitoring system is still working, but Alzheimer’s disease affects that system. “You get the memory problem, plus you get the profound lack of awareness,” she said.

To diagnose this, Postal asks two questions of her Alzheimer patients: “First, you ask ‘How’s your memory?’ A lot of people who have Alzheimer’s disease will say, ‘Oh, it’s not so good.’ But it’s the second question that helps to figure out if they’re anosognosic. ‘All right, Ms. Smith, you’re 80. Everyone loses a little memory when they’re 80. Compared to the typical person who’s 80, how do you feel like you do? Are you about the same, a little better, or a little worse?’ Someone with Alzheimer’s disease, will almost always say, ‘I am fine compared to someone my age.’”
 
bmcgonig said:
It's interesting that you say you have Alzheimer's as I was recently reading the following article. Inside was this part about how one professional diagnoses Alzheimer's:. The implication is that if you have Alzheimer's, you don't know you do? Are you familiar with that theory?


When They Don't Know What They Don't Know - Stroke Connection Magazine - Winter 2019

"It is possible to have a memory problem and be aware of it because that monitoring system is still working, but Alzheimer’s disease affects that system. “You get the memory problem, plus you get the profound lack of awareness,” she said.

To diagnose this, Postal asks two questions of her Alzheimer patients: “First, you ask ‘How’s your memory?’ A lot of people who have Alzheimer’s disease will say, ‘Oh, it’s not so good.’ But it’s the second question that helps to figure out if they’re anosognosic. ‘All right, Ms. Smith, you’re 80. Everyone loses a little memory when they’re 80. Compared to the typical person who’s 80, how do you feel like you do? Are you about the same, a little better, or a little worse?’ Someone with Alzheimer’s disease, will almost always say, ‘I am fine compared to someone my age.’”
Click to expand...

Thank you for your concern... i read the entire article and agree that it describes the most common Alzheimers progress. True... that denial is the normal reaction, but one size does not fit all. My own awareness started about four years ago. In some previous posts, I tried to explain my belief that there are two parts of dementia. One affects memory and interactions that are part of everyday life. I believe that there is a second level of consciousness that includes the deeper intellect. Reasoning, and "in the moment " awareness. Even my doctor knows I believe this, but though he
accepts my analysis, I know it goes against his medical knowledge.

My DW understands, and we work together to try and maintain a normal life... one that we realize is limited.

Some things.... I do not do well on the simple on-line tests. Whilst my driving instincts remain sharp and safe, forgetting even nearby stores, and other places is too common. Learning to use Alexa, to remember days, weather, and major events or plans. The "normal" going in to a room, and wondering what I'm there for is a regular occurance and the old "simple " chores often take much longer.

I mentioned stage four, Not that I expected anyone to look that up, but to remember that the time of onset varies. In the meantime, I'll work to exercise the deeper intellect. Hopefully for a few more years, but no guarantees.
 
I would just suggest that a self-diagnosis of Alzheimer's is...wrong and nothing to fool with.
 
RetMD21 said:
I think the OP has the right idea. Do the basic things recommended by reputable organizations.
Click to expand...


I have no problem with most of what the OP is doing, but I have to say that the American Heart Association is no longer a "reputable organization", at least in my opinion. The problem is that AHA receives much of their funding from the big processed food companies and big pharmaceutical companies, so you can guess what foods they endorse in their diet guidelines. Their "heart healthy" stamp of approval is a joke........anyone who gives them enough money can get the AHA "heart healthy" stamp on the junk food that they are selling. Here is one article about that, you can find many similar articles if you do a simple search:


https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-heart-associations-junk-science-diet
 
RAE said:
I have no problem with most of what the OP is doing, but I have to say that the American Heart Association is no longer a "reputable organization", at least in my opinion. The problem is that AHA receives much of their funding from the big processed food companies and big pharmaceutical companies, so you can guess what foods they endorse in their diet guidelines. Their "heart healthy" stamp of approval is a joke........anyone who gives them enough money can get the AHA "heart healthy" stamp on the junk food that they are selling. Here is one article about that, you can find many similar articles if you do a simple search:


https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-heart-associations-junk-science-diet
Click to expand...

You missed my original plan to avoid Alzheimer's. I stated that I will "exercise" per AHA guidelines and not eat a "diet" per AHA guidelines. As far as i know the exercise guidelines by the AHA are pretty sound.

My diet is in accordance with the MIND diet which is NOT a diet by the AHA.

People should use caution on what is published on the internet. For example, the flat earth society still believe that the earth is flat.
 
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