By Mallory Mattingly
Internet personality Penn Holderness revealed how he’s getting ahead of Alzheimer’s.
“I entered into a trial with Dr. Isaacson. I took the test. I found out, to absolutely no surprise, that I have APOE4 twin copies,” Holderness shared on his “Laugh Lines” podcast.
Research has found that the APOE4 gene “is the strongest risk factor gene for Alzheimer’s disease, although inheriting APOE4 does not mean a person will definitely develop the disease,” the National Institute on Aging reported.
Related: Chris Hemsworth Discovers A Predisposition For Alzheimer’s On New Show
Receiving the news of the gene was hard on his wife, Kim.
“I think you and I were both holding on to hope that, like you were going to be the one in your family, that somehow miraculously, you know, defied the genetics. It felt like a gut punch to me as your wife,” Kim said.
But there is hope. Dr. Richard Isaacson, “a pioneering neurologist with a focus on the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease,” explained that just because someone has the APOE4 gene, it doesn’t mean their life is over.
“If someone looked at your genes, they would say, ‘Oh, boy, he’s in trouble.’ I treat people that have an uncommon combination of a one in 100 gene. You’re that guy based on your baseline testing. Genes are not your destiny. You can win the tug of war against your genes. You actually did it. And every time I see this, I’m just like, ‘This is freaking awesome,'” Dr. Isaacson said on the Holderness’ podcast.
Research has shown that “following a Mediterranean-style diet can reduce dementia risk by 35% or more — with even greater impact at higher levels of adherence.”
In that vein, Dr. Isaacson recommends an diet filled with “Omega-3 rich foods (like salmon, sardines, mackerel), a Mediterranean-style eating pattern, optimizing vitamin D and avoiding smoking and limiting alcohol.”
“When you get the news that you have twin copies of APOE4, it’s not a death sentence. It may be a ticking time bomb, because it sure…feels like one to me, but we’ve got the tools to diffuse it now,” Holderness concluded on the podcast.
Several years ago, THOR star Chris Hemsworth found out on his show LIMITLESS that he also has two copies of the APOE4 gene. Though he could’ve kept the discovery to himself, the actor wanted to use it to encourage others to take control of their health.
“I thought, ‘No, look, if this is a motivator for people to take better care of themselves and also understand that there are steps you can take – then fantastic.’ My concern was I just didn’t want to manipulate it and overdramatize it, and make it into some sort of hokey grab at empathy or whatever for entertainment,” Hemsworth said.
Stories like Holderness’ and Hemsworth’s remind us that we can use God-given tools like nutrition and exercise to support our health and longevity.
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