Alzheimer’s disease begins decades before symptoms appear. This means that there are opportunities for early prediction of who is at risk of developing Alzheimer’s, early detection of the developing disease, and for early intervention to slow the disease and delay the onset of dementia.
23andMe recently teamed up with Us Against Alzheimer’s to help sponsor a webinar for healthcare professionals on reducing risk for dementia. While this was intended for healthcare professionals, a lot of the information is helpful for anyone interested in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia prevention.
How Early Prediction, Detection, and Intervention Can Help Fight Alzheimer’s
While 23andMe does offer APOE e4 testing*, we believe that deciding whether or not you want to learn about genetic information that relates to health risks is a personal choice. 23andMe customers have the option to opt-in or opt-out of receiving health information, and have the further option of opting in or out of the Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease Report specifically. If you’re a 23andMe customer and you do not opt in to seeing this information you will not see a Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease Report in your account. You can change your decision at any time in your account settings.
We encourage everyone to think carefully about whether to view their Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease Report—ultimately, it’s up to the individual to decide. While many 23andMe customers want this information and find it helpful in their health journey, we know that not everyone feels this way. We provide access to this information for those who want it, but also provide mechanisms to ensure those who do not want this information do not have to see it.
Early Prediction: Genetics and Family History
Your family history and genetic testing can play a critical role in assessing your Alzheimer’s risk.
- Family history: knowing your family history with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia can provide an important signal of Alzheimer’s disease risk.
- APOE e4 genetic variant: This variant in the APOE gene is the most impactful common genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. There are also many other genes that can contribute to your risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
- Genetic testing: Genetic testing can help you find out whether you carry a variant linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
The 23andMe Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease Genetic Health Risk report tests for the APOE e4 variant for customers who opt-in to this report.
Read about a mother’s story with genetic testing for Alzheimer’s Disease
Early detection: tools and tests
Early detection evaluations can identify if the biological signals of Alzheimer’s disease are developing.
- Brain imaging: Tools like PET scans and MRIs can detect physical changes in the brain.
- Blood Tests: Biomarkers, such as amyloid beta or phosphorylated tau, can signal the disease may be present.
- Cognitive Assessments: Digital tools like tablet- or smartphone-based tests can monitor for early signs of cognitive decline.
Early Intervention: Slowing Progression
There’s encouraging progress in treating Alzheimer’s disease in the early-stages. Newly approved drugs can slow cognitive decline by 25–30% in early-stage patients. Ongoing research and drug development continue to explore methods to delay progression in presymptomatic stages and early stages from developing into later, symptomatic stages.
Beyond early prediction, detection, and interventions—there’s also prevention. What can we all do to reduce our risk and help prevent Alzheimer’s from developing?
“We need to carry out a process of early prediction using family history and genetics, early detection to see when that pathology is first brewing so we can hit it before the organ degenerates” – Dr. Rudolph Tanzi, Risk Reduction and Dementia; A Brain Health Academy seminar
Alzheimer’s Prevention through lifestyle changes
What can you do today that will help lower your risk for Alzheimer’s disease? A healthy lifestyle can not only help lower your chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease, but can also help improve cognitive function for those with early Alzheimer’s disease. What specifically helps lower risk?
“Sleep more, relax more, socialize more, move more, learn more, eat healthier” – Dr. Rudolph Tanzi, Risk Reduction and Dementia; A Brain Health Academy seminar
The SHIELD Plan for Brain Health
Dr. Rudolph Tanzi, Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital McCance Center for Brain Health, developed the SHIELD Plan, a simple guide to protecting your brain health:
- Sleep – Aim for 7-8 hours each night. Deep sleep helps clear plaque and other debris from the brain. Prioritize good sleep habits now—don’t wait until next year!
- Handle stress – Manage anxiety and depression in a plan that works for you—periodic vacations, meditation, mindfulness, yoga, or seeking help from a certified stress management specialist may all help. Anxiety and depression have both been shown to increase the risk for, and progression of, dementia.
- Interactions with others – A rich social life may slow cognitive aging and may protect against Alzheimer’s disease. Find ways to continue to connect with others and combat feelings of loneliness.
- Exercise – Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week—or, at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise, 5 days per week. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain and can trigger the birth of new nerve cells in certain parts of the brain.
- Learn new things – Consistent engagement with learning throughout life is associated with improved cognitive function. Learning a new language, learning to play an instrument, completing puzzles, playing interactive games, or taking adult education classes may all help lifelong learning.
- Diet – A Mediterranean diet is not just good for your heart, it’s also good for your brain. Focus on lower glycemic carbohydrates (like in nuts, fruits, and beans), healthy fats, leafy vegetables, and lean proteins.
You are empowered
It’s never too late to make changes. Every step we take to care for our brain, no matter how small, may contribute to our long-term cognitive health. Prevention starts with awareness and action—because small, consistent changes in our daily habits can make a meaningful difference in brain health over time. Together, by prioritizing our brain health, we can shift the tide against Alzheimer’s disease, one lifestyle choice at a time.
Key Takeaways
The science is clear: while we can’t control all the factors that contribute to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, we can make meaningful choices today that may help protect our brains for years to come. Whether or not you choose to explore your genetic risk, the lifestyle interventions outlined in Dr. Tanzi’s SHIELD Plan—prioritizing good sleep, managing stress, staying socially connected, moving your body, feeding your mind, and eating for brain health—are each powerful tools to reduce your risk of dementia.
Note:
*The 23andMe PGS test uses qualitative genotyping to detect select clinically relevant variants in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva to report and interpret genetic health risks. It is not intended to diagnose any disease. Your ethnicity may affect the relevance of each report and how your genetic health risk results are interpreted. Each genetic health risk report describes if a person has variants associated with a higher risk of developing a disease but does not describe a person’s overall risk of developing the disease. The test is not intended to tell you anything about your current state of health or to be used to make medical decisions, including whether or not you should take a medication, how much of a medication you should take, or determine any treatment.
The Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease genetic health risk report is indicated for reporting of the e4 variant in the APOE gene. It describes if a person has a variant associated with an increased risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The e4 variant included in this report is found and has been studied in many ethnicities. Detailed risk estimates have been studied the most in people of European descent.
