Can Alzheimer’s disease be funny? I was skeptical, especially given the devastating experience my family had watching my dad suffer from it. So, I asked two experts in using humor to raise awareness—Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller Rogen—to help me see the light. We had a great conversation about their organization Hilarity for Charity, hope for the future of Alzheimer’s research, the importance of a good night’s sleep, and why Seth started a cannabis lifestyle company. Show notes: Hilarity for Charity: Hilarity For Charity (wearehfc.org) Alzheimer’s Association: Alzheimer's Association | Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia Help Why I’m hopeful about the future of Alzheimer’s research: hope for the future of Alzheimer’s research HFC’s 5 Brain Healthy Habits: 5 Brain Health Habits | Hilarity For Charity Houseplant: https://www.houseplant.com/ Oogum Boogum Song by Brenton Wood: Oogum Boogum Song Seth’s testimony about Alzheimer’s to Congress: Seth Rogen Opening Statement (C-SPAN) - YouTube

Peter is joined by writer, director, actress, and founder of HFC, Lauren Miller Rogen, and previous podcast guest and director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian, Dr. Richard Isaacson. In this episode, Lauren tells the heartbreaking story of watching members of her family succumb to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) which motivated her to proactively address her own risk with Richard’s guidance. Richard discusses the various genetic and lifestyle factors that influence the risk of AD and uses Lauren’s unique situation to explain how he diagnoses patients and personalizes care. They go through Lauren’s protocol of preventative measures that have already produced marked results, and end with the uplifting message that one’s genetic predisposition does not seal one's fate. We discuss: Lauren’s deep family history of Alzheimer’s disease (3:10); The influence of genetics, epigenetics, and lifestyle on Alzheimer’s disease risk (13:45); Lauren’s mother’s disease progression and the enormous stress it causes for family members (24:30); The various manifestations of Alzheimer’s disease depending on the location of pathology (29:30); The three stages of Alzheimer's disease (34:45); Richard’s deep exploration into Lauren’s family history revealing clues about a diagnosis and a roadmap to successful disease mitigation (39:15); How exercise reduces Alzheimer’s disease risk, and the different risk between males and females (58:00); Why knowing your APOE status is important, and whether certain people should be wearier of head trauma (1:08:00); How Richard uses genetic testing to personalize care (1:14:45); The “ABCs” of Alzheimer’s prevention, lifestyle interventions, and Lauren’s personal protocol for reducing her risk (1:21:45); Unique treatment for people with the ApoE4 variant (1:36:30); Richard’s mixed opinion on CBD and THC as a tool for disease prevention (1:40:00); Cognitive testing procedures, and how Lauren’s tests furthered her commitment to her disease prevention protocol (1:41:45); The relevance of sense of smell and hearing in Alzheimer’s disease risk and prevention (1:50:00); The emotional benefit of knowing you have control over your mental and physical health (1:57:30); HFC—a charitable organization founded by Lauren and Seth (2:00:15); and More. Learn more: https://peterattiamd.com/ Show notes page for this episode: https://peterattiamd.com/laurenmillerrogen-richardisaacson/  Subscribe to receive exclusive subscriber-only content: https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/ Sign up to receive Peter's email newsletter: https://peterattiamd.com/newsletter/ Connect with Peter on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.