Prevention of Alzheimer's disease since childhood?
A strong case for preventative and lifestyle medicine?
A new study has shown that brain changes usually associated with Alzheimer's disease could start during childhood, and the gene that makes some people more vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease as adults also affects the brain development and mental abilities of children.
The risk gene with the strongest influence is called apolipoprotein E-e4 (APOE-e4). Scientists estimate that APOE-e4 may be a factor in 20 to 25 percent of Alzheimer's cases.
APOE-e4 is one of three common forms of the APOE gene; the others are APOE-e2 and APOE-e3. Everyone inherits a copy of some form of APOE from each parent. Those who inherit APOE-e4 from one parent have an increased risk of Alzheimer’s. Those who inherit APOE-e4 from both parents have an even higher risk, but not a certainty.
The researchers found a variety of differences in mental abilities and brain structure based on the age of the children and their particular version of the APOE gene. Many differences held up even after the researchers controlled for things like gender, genetic ancestry, family income and parents’ education.
In the study, children who had inherited two copies of the e4 allele had lower hippocampus volume in the brain, which is seen in the elderly with the same genetic make up as well. Memory scores and thinking skills were also lower in children with other genotypes, like e4e4 (two copies of e4 gene). Executive function was significantly lower in the youngest children with the double gene copies as too.
Having shown that the brains of children genetically predisposed to have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's show changes this early in their lives, why not ensuring that their brains - and hearts and bodies of course- get the best nutrition possible (through Mediterranean or MIND diet), the best possible level of physical activity, enriching learning opportunities, and later as adults to control cardiovascular risk factors, like blood pressure, smoking, cholesterol levels?
Our genetics are not our fate. There is so much we can do leading as health a lifestyle as possible to prevent, delay or minimize the development of many health conditions. Alzheimer's is no exception.
