Alzheimer's Disease and Pesticide Exposure

A  study published recently in JAMA Neurology found an association between serum levels of dichlordiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) and Alzheimer's disease. A group of 86 Alzheimer's patients were compared with 76 controls. Those with Alzheimer's disease had higher levels of serum DDE. Those patients with Alzheimer's and the APOE epsilon 4 allele (found with genetic testing) performed even worse on the Mini-Mental State Examination. What we don't know is if the Alzheimer's patients had more exposure to DDE or if their bodies were less able to eliminate DDE from their system. 

Functional medicine clinicians can order genetic tests to evaluate your body's ability to detoxify a variety of substances.