Episode 8

Longevity Medicine & Female Brain Health with Dr. Michelle Leary

In today's episode I welcome back Dr. Michelle Leary, a functional medicine physician and the director of Functional Medicine at Vida Integrated Health.

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, and what you can do to improve your quality of life and 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. 

Where to find Dr. Leary:

Powersexbeauty.com

Thinkvida.com

Mentioned in the episode:

Dale Bredesen – The End of Alzheimers

Dr. Bredesen’s Program PreCode and ReCode Programs


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.


Interested in working with Jeannie? Schedule a 30-minute Coffee Talk here.

Connect with me on Instagram @joliverwellness and check out the options for my more affordable self-study programs here: https://www.joliverwellness.com/diy-programs

Music credit: Funk’d Up by Reaktor Productions

A Podcast Launch Bestie production

About the Podcast

Show artwork for The Nutrition Edit
The Nutrition Edit

About your host

Profile picture for Jeannie Oliver

Jeannie Oliver

Jeannie is a Certified Nutrition Coach, NASM Personal Trainer and classically trained chef. She helps high performing women improve their overall health, optimize their energy and performance, and discover what it's like to feel good in their own skin - all while enjoying delicious food and creating sustainably healthy lifestyles.