IN 2017, 23andMe began offering tests for the genetic risk of developing certain health conditions like celiac disease, Parkinson's, and late-onset Alzheimer's. The Alzheimer's test will tell you if you have the gene variant APOE4, which means you have an increased likelihood of developing the disease. One in four people carry a single copy of the gene, but 2 to 3 percent of the population have two copies-one from each parent-and have a much higher probability. As with all of 23andMe's upcharged "Health Predisposition Reports," the sell on it was self-empowerment: Once you know, you can plan, allowing you to take charge of your well-being.
Except most experts don't recommend that you test for APOE4 status. There's no cure for Alzheimer's disease and no surefire way to prevent it. Many people who find out they have two copies of APOE4 from 23andMe are left only with profound anxiety.
Not taking the test in a clinical setting means that when the results come in, there is no doctor or counselor present to help process them or explain what can even be done with the information. Instead, there's the internet: In Facebook groups and Reddit forums, APOE4/4's, as they call themselves, try to help one another through their doom spirals. They parse scientific studies on the links between exercise and cognition and theorize about the protective benefits of fish-oil supplements and cooking with saffron.
"I AM OPTIMISTIC, BUT I HEAR THIS CLOCK TICKING IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD."
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Trapped in Time
A woman relives the same day in a stunning Danish novel.
Polyphonic City
A SOFT, SHIMMERING beauty permeates the images of Mumbai that open Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine As Light. For all the nighttime bustle on display-the heave of people, the constant activity and chaos-Kapadia shoots with a flair for the illusory.
Lear at the Fountain of Youth
Kenneth Branagh's production is nipped, tucked, and facile.
A Belfast Lad Goes Home
After playing some iconic Americans, Anthony Boyle is a beloved IRA commander in a riveting new series about the Troubles.
The Pluck of the Irish
Artists from the Indiana-size island continue to dominate popular culture. Online, they've gained a rep as the \"good Europeans.\"
Houston's on Houston
The Corner Store is like an upscale chain for downtown scene-chasers.
A Brownstone That's Pink Inside
Artist Vivian Reiss's Murray Hill house of whimsy.
These Jeans Made Me Gay
The Citizens of Humanity Horseshoe pants complete my queer style.
Manic, STONED, Throttle, No Brakes
Less than six months after her Gagosian sölu show, the artist JAMIAN JULIANO-VILLAND lost her gallery and all her money and was preparing for an exhibition with two the biggest living American artists.
WHO EVER THOUGHT THAT BRIGHT PINK MEAT THAT LASTS FOR WEEKS WAS A GOOD IDEA?
Deli Meat Is Rotten