Risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease breaks the blood–brain barrier. APOE4.
People who carry the gene variant APOE4 are at higher-than-average risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. It emerges that this variant is linked to defects in the blood–brain barrier and subsequent cognitive decline.
It's a risk factor only, without exposure to xenobiotics it is benign. Genes are our tendancy and not our destiny. This is a modifiable risk. It trips my trigger when research is patient blaming.
I have two copies of this genetic variant. I'm pretty sure the potential stress caused by knowing I have this and worrying about possible outcomes is worse than their simple existence, since I'm already doing all the recommended things to take care of myself. I'm going to forward this to my MDS and then try not to think about it!
We might not disagree! When you say you feel better after worrying, it sounds like you worried and then you stopped. That's what I did, too -- after learning about it and taking some steps that felt productive. What I meant is that I don't want to dwell in fear. In my own experience, chronic stress does lead to poor health (not to mention happiness) outcomes.
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