S4, Episode 8: Longevity Medicine & Female Brain Health with Dr. Michelle Leary
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In today's episode I welcome back Dr. Michelle Leary, a functional medicine physician and the director of Functional Medicine at Vida Integrated Health. Dr. Leary is one of my favorite practitioners and she’s the perfect guest to talk about longevity medicine.
Many of us in middle age have parents who are struggling with dementia and/or Alzheimer's, and today I'm talking with Dr. Leary about longevity medicine and brain health, for women in particular.
In this episode you’re going to learn all about what longevity medicine is, the most important things we (especially us women!) can do to look and feel our best, and how to protect your brain & cognitive health as you age.
Dr. Leary talks about the impact of genetics, particularly the APOE gene, on Alzheimer's disease risk and how to test for it.
Thankfully, genetics don't necessarily dictate our fate, and Dr. Leary shares how you can promote longevity and minimize your risk of degenerative brain disease by leveraging sleep, nutrition, metabolic health, and exercise. She also discusses the role of chronic stress, insulin resistance and hormones, particularly estrogen, in brain health and cognitive decline.
Interested in working with Jeannie one on one? Schedule a 30-minute Coffee Talk here.
Where to find Dr. Leary:
Books and resources mentioned in the episode:
Book and Program: The End of Alzheimers, Dr. Dale Bredesen
Dr. Leary’s recommended labs to ask for:
Fasting insulin,
HbA1C (hemoglobin A1C)
Advanced lipid (NMR) panel, and/or APOb
Comp thyroid panel
Hormones, HS CRP, Ferritin
CBC
Autoimmune (ANA) – can be useful
Heavy metals – urine is best, blood is ok
My 1:1 clients can get lab testing with Jeannie Oliver Wellness, but I do not provide diagnosis or treatment.
Function Health – Dr. Hyman’s new company (patient direct order)
References:
Russell JK, Jones CK, Newhouse PA. The Role of Estrogen in Brain and Cognitive Aging. Neurotherapeutics. 2019 Jul;16(3):649-665. doi: 10.1007/s13311-019-00766-9. PMID: 31364065; PMCID: PMC6694379.
Riedel BC, Thompson PM, Brinton RD. Age, APOE and sex: Triad of risk of Alzheimer's disease. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2016 Jun;160:134-47. doi: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2016.03.012. Epub 2016 Mar 8. PMID: 26969397; PMCID: PMC4905558.
Scheyer O, Rahman A, Hristov H, Berkowitz C, Isaacson RS, Diaz Brinton R, Mosconi L. Female Sex and Alzheimer's Risk: The Menopause Connection. J Prev Alzheimers Dis. 2018;5(4):225-230. doi: 10.14283/jpad.2018.34. PMID: 30298180; PMCID: PMC6198681.
Islam MT. Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction-linked neurodegenerative disorders. Neurol Res. 2017 Jan;39(1):73-82. doi: 10.1080/01616412.2016.1251711. Epub 2016 Nov 3. PMID: 27809706.
Sadeghmousavi S, Eskian M, Rahmani F, Rezaei N. The effect of insomnia on development of Alzheimer's disease. J Neuroinflammation. 2020 Oct 6;17(1):289. doi: 10.1186/s12974-020-01960-9. PMID: 33023629; PMCID: PMC7542374.
Beam CR, Kaneshiro C, Jang JY, Reynolds CA, Pedersen NL, Gatz M. Differences Between Women and Men in Incidence Rates of Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis. 2018;64(4):1077-1083. doi: 10.3233/JAD-180141. PMID: 30010124; PMCID: PMC6226313.
Daniel JM, Lindsey SH, Mostany R, Schrader LA, Zsombok A. Cardiometabolic health, menopausal estrogen therapy and the brain: How effects of estrogens diverge in healthy and unhealthy preclinical models of aging. Front Neuroendocrinol. 2023 Jul;70:101068. doi: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101068. Epub 2023 Apr 13. PMID: 37061205; PMCID: PMC10725785.
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Music credit: Funk’d Up by Reaktor Productions
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