Watching someone experiencing Alzheimer's disease can make you worrisome about the real possibility that you'll experience it later. For that reason, you may be seeking out every morsel of data you can find to best know how to lower risks and avoid the damage of this disease. How can you fight a disease that may visit in the future?

Get ApoE Testing

Testing is now available to determine risk levels for Alzheimer's disease. A blood protein, Apolipoprotein E--shortened to ApoE-- is linked to greater probability that you will one day have the disease. This testing can be done by your doctor, a health clinic or a genetic testing facility like Apoe Genetic.

Three variants of the protein exist. E2 is the variant which is thought to have the least amount of risk, E3 is moderate risk and E4 has the most. There are also two copies of the ApoE protein in our body; therefore, if your combination is E2/E2, your risk is rather low. By contrast, those with E4/E4 combos need to be aggressively proactive about life changes.

Don't panic if you see E3 and E4 protein variants in your test results. While the protein variants are accurate, they do not guarantee you're going to develop the disease. Knowing remains valuable.

Manage Chronic Diseases

Research seems to indicate anyone with higher Alzheimer's risks--such as those with family histories or ApoE E4 proteins--manage their other diseases well to ward off Alzheimer's. If you are not monitoring glucose levels that well as a diabetic, for example, that must change. If hypertension has been diagnosed, stop ignoring your medication and lower salt intake to be more compliant with treatment. Better overall health can preserve the brain's cognitive functions.

Consider Supplements

Various herbal and plant remedies and supplements claim to protect cognitive ability. Even simple coconut oil has been rumored to help the brain. While nutrients and vitamins are of course important, check with doctors and health care clinics before using any substance.

Make a Plan

Many people just worry and wait until Alzheimer's shows up. If you expect it, it's smart to have a living will, power of attorney and other binding paperwork to protect yourself.  Work hard so savings are built and you need not worry about how you'll eat or live when the disease becomes difficult.

Your preparation for Alzheimer's can release you from discomfort and fear. Discuss the disease with health care workers, your doctor and others.

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