Using Precision Medicine to Reverse Alzheimer's Disease with Dr. Heather Sandison: Rational Wellness podcast 464
Release Date: 06/04/2026
Rational Wellness Podcast
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Using Precision Medicine to Reverse Alzheimer's Disease with Dr. Heather Sandison | Rational Wellness Podcast 464
Dr. Ben Weitz interviews Dr. Heather Sandison about a precision, multimodal approach to Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline that challenges the amyloid-only model. Sandison cites a 2026 Cochrane review finding anti-amyloid antibody therapies remove plaque but don’t meaningfully improve cognition and carry risks like brain bleeding and swelling, arguing cognitive decline is driven by multiple modifiable factors. She reviews lifestyle-intervention research (Bredesen/Toups 2022, her 2023 study, Ornish 2024, and the Alzheimer’s Association POINTER trial) showing cognitive improvements, discusses key drivers such as toxins (mycotoxins, metals, chemicals), infections, metabolic flexibility/ketosis, sleep, stress, and social connection, and outlines evaluation tools including MoCA, CNS Vital Signs, MRI volumetrics with arterial spin labeling, and blood biomarkers like p-tau217, Aβ 42/40, and NfL, plus interpreting nutrients via homocysteine.
00:00 Show Intro
00:59 Alzheimers Rethink
01:34 Guest Background
02:48 Trial Clarification
03:39 Limits Of Amyloid Drugs
05:29 Houseplant Brain Analogy
07:10 Lifestyle Trials Evidence
09:41 Research Funding Reality
11:08 Preventable Dementia Risks
12:44 Synapses And Social Ties
15:13 Drivers Beyond Amyloid
17:27 Toxins As Key Factor
18:52 Why Toxins Get Ignored
20:42 Metabolic Flexibility Diet
23:33 Ketosis For Cognition
24:57 Exogenous Ketones Guide
26:57 MCT And Coconut Oil
27:10 Coconut Oil Ketones
28:10 Apollo Wearable Ad
29:42 Cognitive Testing Tools
31:17 Advanced Brain Imaging
33:56 Blood Biomarkers Explained
37:39 Nutrients And Homocysteine
40:29 Vitamin D And Calcium
41:53 Treatment Priorities
43:47 Sleep Apnea First
45:53 Hormones And Peptides
48:48 Wrap Up And Resources
49:53 Podcast Outro
Dr. Heather Sandison is the founder of Solcere Health Clinic in San Diego, California and Marama, a pioneering residential care facility focused on personalized, root-cause approaches to dementia. She is also the primary investigator and author of a peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease demonstrating improvements in cognition using a personalized lifestyle intervention, and the author of the New York Times best selling book Reversing Alzheimer’s. Her website is DrHeatherSandison.com.