Dr. Nathaniel Chin, director of medical services at the Wisconsin ADRC, was a guest on Being Patient: Brain Talks, discussing the latest research on genetics and Alzheimer’s disease. His conversation with Being Patient founder, Deborah Kan, covered a wide range of topics, including genetic testing, personalized risk reports, protective genes, and the importance of a healthy lifestyle in reducing Alzheimer’s disease risk.
Dr. Chin explained that while tests can identifying genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease, they do not necessarily mean a person will definitively develop the disease. Individuals can make lifestyle adjustments to decrease the chance of Alzheimer’s disease materializing later in life. Dr. Chin’s advice regarding lifestyle habits includes participating in physical activity, more specifically, at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity. He also speaks on the importance of diet, suggesting a Mediterranean or MIND diet, engaging in social activity, getting enough quality sleep, and not smoking. A healthy lifestyle can offer protection against Alzheimer’s disease, and it can modify how our genes affect us -- we can’t change our genetic code, but we can change our lifestyle.
“Genetics and Alzheimer’s: What the Latest Research Says” was recorded through Facebook Live on the Being Patient: Brain Talks closed Facebook group on June 15, 2018. Watch it on YouTube.
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