Alzheimers Disease: Preclinical Alzheimer’s and Modifiable Environmental Factors that are Protective

Alzheimers Disease: Preclinical Alzheimer’s and Modifiable Environmental Factors that are Protective

The first signs of Alzheimer’s disease surface at least 10 years before the onset of the disorder.  This was reported at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference of 2012.  So far there is no single test or battery of tests at baseline to predict preclinical Alzheimer’s disease.  Dr. Caselli of the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale Arizona spoke of the following tests that are being used to possibly recognize  preclinical Alzheimer’s disease.  These tests include: CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) levels of biomarkers and amyloid antigen, imaging studies, the pathology and the cognition.  He studied 813 cognitively healthy adults who were assessed every 1-2 years for 8 years.  The patients who had the ApoE4 allele (a genetic test and a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease) had more rapid declines in performance on some tests of memory and were less proficient at learning new information then the nonApoE4 carriers.

Preclinical Alzheimer’s disease begins in ApoE4 carriers on average in the 50’s with a clinical lag time of 10-15 years.  It is characterized most consistently by declining memory skills.

At the same conference another researcher, Dr. Weili Xu from the Aging Research Center of the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm and Stockholm University, spoke of the protective and modifiable environmental factors against Alzheimer’s disease in older adults who carry the ApoE4 allele.  932 cognitively healthy adults aged 75 years or older were followed over 9 years.  The ApoE4 carriers who had more education or a high level of leisure-time activities and a lack of the vascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, stroke, atherosclerosis, atrial fibrillation) were roughly half as likely to develop the disease.

What can you do to delay or prevent Alzheimer’s?

My take on this: If Alzheimer’s disease runs in your family, you should get the ApoE4 test done, and if positive then seek out an MD like Dr. Caselli who can do additional tests to determine if you have preclinical Alzheimer’s disease.  If you already know you carry the ApoE4 allele and you are young (50 years or younger), then you should seek a higher education (like a Master’s degree if you don’t have it), and work on plenty of leisure time.  The idea is to keep the brain stimulated by learning new subjects, or even a new language or puzzles   Then also reduce your risk of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and stroke.  You can do this with a good organic diet and lifestyle of no smoking, or alcohol over use, and plenty of exercise.

In my clinic, when is see patients with Alzheimer’s disease or are concerned about getting it in the future, I look at exposure to toxins primarily heavy metals like lead and mercury. Treating for this can be very helpful.  Other things we do is look for hidden nutrient deficiencies, and hormonal imbalances.  Correcting these imbalances can further halt declining cognition in some patients.