Live Well Be Well with Sarah Ann Macklin | Health, Lifestyle, Nutrition

Why do healthy people still get Alzheimer’s disease? | Dr Darshan Shah

Feb 9, 2026

Dr Darshan Shah, a medical expert on Alzheimer’s risk, explains why disease can strike despite healthy habits. He highlights environmental toxins, metabolic markers like A1C, and hormone shifts in menopause. Short, clear takes on estrogen, IGF-1, thyroid changes, and genetic or detox resilience are discussed.

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ANECDOTE

Two Grandmothers, Two Outcomes

Sarah Ann Macklin describes one grandmother who walked, grew food, taught, and stayed cognitively active yet developed Alzheimer’s in her 70s and lived with it for 12 years.
She contrasts this with another grandmother who smoked and drank yet lived nearly to 100, highlighting unpredictability in outcomes.

INSIGHT

Hidden Biological Risks Beyond Lifestyle

Darshan Shah highlights hidden risks like environmental toxins, metabolic disease, and hormone declines that can drive Alzheimer's despite healthy habits.
He notes hormones beyond sex hormones, such as IGF-1 and thyroid, can influence aging and dementia risk.

ADVICE

Get Hormone Care In Perimenopause

See a skilled hormone doctor during perimenopause or menopause to evaluate and normalize hormones that affect brain health.
Darshan Shah emphasizes estrogen's connection to Alzheimer's and the importance of medical guidance for women.

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Can you do everything right and still face Alzheimer’s risk? It can happen, and we discuss how environmental toxins, metabolic health, and shifting hormones may play a role. This clip explores two grandmothers with opposite lifestyles, highlighting possible factors like hemoglobin A1c, menopause-related drops in estrogen, and other hormones including IGF-1 and thyroid. We also consider genetic resilience and detox capacity, and why relying on luck isn’t wise. Women are addressed directly, with advice to see a good hormone doctor during perimenopause and menopause.

Dr Darshan Shah in conversation with Sarah Ann

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