Doug Whitney, who inherits a rare gene mutation that typically leads to early-onset Alzheimer's, remains symptom-free at 75 years old. Researchers are investigating his unique brain condition to uncover protective mechanisms, believing that understanding his resilience could inform new treatments for the disease. Whitney's family history reveals a troubling pattern of early Alzheimer's, as nearly all affected relatives exhibited symptoms by age 50. Remarkably, Whitney tested positive for the gene mutation at 60 but appears unaffected, leading to further research into possible factors like heat shock proteins in his brain.
I'm 75 years old, and I think I'm functioning fairly well. I'm still not showing any of the symptoms of Alzheimer's.
If we are able to learn what is causing the protection here, then we could translate that to therapeutic approaches and apply that to the more common forms of the disease.
None of them lasted past 60. A year later when we went back, she was already wandering off and not finding her way back home.
I submitted my blood samples and to my great surprise, it came back positive for the Alzheimer's gene.
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