Broadcast from KSQD Santa Cruz on 6-13-2024 Alzheimer’s Disease and APOE4 Gene Listener asks about the APOE4 gene and its association with Alzheimer's disease in the light of a recent sensationalistic Nature publication. The impact of amyloid beta and TAU proteins on Alzheimer's pathology. Differences in Alzheimer's risk among different ethnic groups with APOE4 with emphasis on the importance of cholesterol levels as a risk multiplier. Advice for a listener’s husband dealing with chronic back pain and sciatica Dr. Dawn presents a basic checklist for evaluating back pain symptoms and determining the need for urgent medical intervention. Potential causes are discussed such as spinal nerve compression from various sources. In this case, Dr. Dawn made a specific suggestion of McKenzie exercises and emphasized the importance of seeing a sports medicine doctor or physiatrist for a comprehensive evaluation. Dr. Dawn responds to a caller about managing knee osteoarthritis The role of glucosamine, chondroitin, and topical diclofenac in treatment. Discussion on non-pharmaceutical approaches like heat application and massage. Potential interventions like steroid injections, hyaluronic acid, platelet rich plasma and their benefits and risks. Dr. Dawn answers a question about dietary oxalates and their impact on kidney stones She emphasizes the importance of the oxalate content in foods and its limited role in kidney stone formation. She emphasizes the importance of hydration and maintaining a healthy microbiome. For specific dietary guidelines on oxalate in foods she suggests using oxalate.org. A concerned parent asks about aluminum and other vaccine adjuvants like formaldehyde for their infant's 2 month well child visit She expresses conflicting fears of being mischaracterized as a vaccine denier by merely expressing concern about vaccination for her infant. Dr. Dawn provides a breakdown of the necessity, immediate urgency and risks of each recommended vaccine (Hepatitis B, DTaP, Polio, Hib, Pneumococcal, Rotavirus) and suggests a social contextualization strategy to perhaps delay Polio, rotavirus and Hep B in this family's social context while emphasizing the importance of certain vaccinations to prevent serious illnesses. Dr. Dawn cites intriguing ambiguities in the literature that support the counterintuitive idea that smaller doses of aluminum may have a greater accumulation in tissues of brain and reproductive tissues than larger doses, and promises to research this further in a future program.