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Comment by sys32768 | Hacker News Reader

My mom got Alzheimer's at age 58. She was trim, ate organic, exercised daily, never smoked or drank, and had a happy social life.

She was always a super light sleeper though, and had her own room because dad would wake her up at night. I wonder whether her brain's lymphatic system was working.

Only other thing that stuck in my mind is not long before her symptoms, she had like six metal fillings removed and replaced with porcelain all at the same time.

Her aunt got it early too and was a health nut juicer for years who lived a healthy lifestyle.

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There are links between plaque found on teeth and the alzheimers plaques. There are some studies that introduction into the bloodstream may cause issues. https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/large-study-links-gum-disease-d...

That study was what got me to start routinely flossing after many years of off-and-on attempts. Read it, have flossed basically every day since. I’m aware that they didn’t show a causative link and that evidence for flossing itself is limited, but my gums feel better and don’t bleed anymore, so I figure it can’t be a bad thing either way.

Did she spend a lot of time outside?

Lack of infrared exposition is linked to inflammation and Alzheimer.

https://youtu.be/wadKIiGsDTw links to medical papers in the video description.

Yes, daily long walks with her dog.

Scary stuff! Thanks for the story.

Have you ever been checked for familial early-onset Alzheimer's genes?

Is that the kind of information a 23-and-me test will give you?

Not reliably. Best would be to seek consultation with a medical geneticist.

23andme will tell you your APOE genotype, one of the variants of which is a major risk factor for Alzheimer's.

No, I just assume I'll get it in a few years, although neither of her siblings got it.

I'm less healthy than she was at my age (52). My exit plan doesn't involve long term health care insurance, that's for sure.

Mom's still alive at 75, so that's a long run with this disease. I would say it's been about three years since she has declined to that stage where no mentally well person would want to be alive.

Health nut juicer sounds like she would be taking in a lot of fructose? Did your mom eat a lot of fruit?

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