It is highly important for people all over the world to understand that preventative measures often lead to higher cure and survival rates when facing an array of different diseases. Genetic testing, an early intervention for Alzheimer’s disease is no less important.  Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease that is incurable.

ApoE4 is the name of the protein that is found to increase the chances of developing Alzheimer’s by as much as 10 fold. Previous research has focused on how ApoE4 affected the clearing of amyloid-beta, a plaque that is increasingly found in the brain of a patient with Alzheimer’s. However, the author of the study, Dr. Dale Bredesen believes that there is much more to the protein.  Dr. Bredesen and his team found that ApoE4 is also associated with a reduction in a protein called SirT1, which is linked with anti-aging, longevity, and anti-inflammation. As SirT1 decreases, it affects the amyloid precursor protein, which is essential to the storage or loss of memories.

In the experiments where Dr. Bredesen and his team reinserted SirT1 into cells affected by ApoE4, abnormalities were corrected and the cell returned to a healthy state. These findings make it possible for treatment to be available even for those who are affected by the early stages of the disease.