Alzheimer’s Doesn’t Begin With Alzheimer’s: The Early Warning Signs Most People Miss

By Dr. Gregory C. Fors
Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist
Pain and Brain Healing Center

June is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, making it an appropriate time to discuss one of the most feared health conditions affecting aging adults…

This topic is deeply personal for me.

My mother suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. Like millions of families, I watched firsthand as memory, independence, personality, and quality of life gradually slip away from someone I loved deeply. That experience helped fuel a lifelong interest in understanding how the brain works, why cognitive decline occurs, and most importantly, what can be done to reduce risk and preserve cognitive function.

As a functional medicine doctor in Minnesota, I have spent decades studying the nervous system and helping patients with brain fog, memory problems, chronic pain, sleep disorders, metabolic dysfunction, and neurodegenerative conditions.

Over the years I have attended numerous educational seminars taught by Dr. Dale Bredesen, one of the pioneers in functional medicine approaches to cognitive decline. Most recently, I attended the Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute Brain Conference in Chicago in May 2026, where emerging research regarding Alzheimer’s disease was shared.

One of the most important lessons I have learned is this:

Alzheimer’s Disease Rarely Begins As Alzheimer’s Disease.

The 20-30 Year Window

Most people assume Alzheimer’s disease suddenly appears late in life. In reality, the biological processes that contribute to Alzheimer’s disease often begin twenty to thirty years before a diagnosis is ever made.

The earliest warning signs are frequently subtle. You may notice:

• Difficulty finding words…
• Forgetting names…
• Losing your train of thought
• Reduced concentration
• Increased mental fatigue
• Brain fog
• Difficulty multitasking
• Poor sleep
• Increased stress sensitivity
• Feeling mentally slower than you once did

Because these changes seem minor, many people dismiss them as "normal aging." I do not. In many individuals, these symptoms represent early warning signs that the brain is under stress and beginning to lose resilience.

Why This Matters To Me Personally

Several years ago, I discovered that I was developing insulin resistance myself. Like many people, I felt healthy. I exercised, maintained a healthy weight, and generally took good care of myself. Yet laboratory testing revealed that my metabolism was beginning to move in the wrong direction.

That discovery became a turning point. I became much more intentional about controlling blood sugar, reducing insulin spikes, increasing physical activity, and utilizing targeted nutritional support. Today, as I celebrate my 75th year, I continue to enjoy excellent cognitive function and an active professional life as a brain fog doctor.

Quick Self-Assessment

Ask yourself:

• Do you frequently forget words during conversation?
• Do you lose your train of thought?
• Are names harder to remember?
• Are you having greater difficulty concentrating?
• Do you feel mentally slower than several years ago?
• Are you struggling more with multitasking?
• Are family members noticing memory changes?
• Are you experiencing increasing brain fog?
• Are you sleeping poorly?
• Do routine tasks feel more mentally exhausting?

Checking several of these boxes consistently does not mean you have Alzheimer’s disease. It does mean your brain deserves attention.

Alzheimer’s Is Not One Disease

One of the most important concepts emerging from modern neuroscience is that Alzheimer’s is not a single disease process. Instead, it is often the result of multiple biological stressors occurring simultaneously. Dr. Bredesen has described several common patterns:

• Inflammatory Alzheimer’s: Driven by chronic inflammation from poor diet, insulin resistance, gut dysfunction, and environmental toxins.
• Glycotoxic Alzheimer’s: Driven by insulin resistance, elevated blood sugar, and metabolic syndrome. This is one of the most common patterns I encounter clinically.
• Atrophic Alzheimer’s: Associated with deficiencies in hormones, nutrients, and growth factors required by healthy neurons.
• Toxic Alzheimer’s: Associated with mold toxins, heavy metals, and environmental chemicals.
• Vascular Alzheimer’s: Associated with reduced blood flow and impaired circulation to the brain.
• Traumatic Alzheimer’s: Associated with prior concussions and head injuries.

Why Alzheimer’s Is Increasingly Called “Type 3 Diabetes”

If there is one factor I routinely find beneath chronic disease, it is insulin resistance. When insulin remains elevated year after year, the brain gradually loses its ability to efficiently utilize glucose for fuel. The result is reduced cellular energy production, increased oxidative stress, and accelerated aging of brain tissue.

Many patients tell me, “My memory just isn’t what it used to be.” In many cases, the problem is not aging; the problem is metabolic dysfunction. Identifying the metabolic, inflammatory, and nutritional factors that create the conditions for Alzheimer’s decades earlier is the key to Alzheimer's prevention.

Brain Fog Is Not Always Benign

One of the greatest misconceptions is that Alzheimer's begins with severe memory loss. It usually does not. In many cases, the progression looks something like this:

Insulin Resistance → Brain Fog → Cognitive Fatigue → Mild Cognitive Impairment → Dementia

This process may unfold over decades, meaning there is tremendous opportunity for intervention. The goal is not simply treating Alzheimer’s disease; the goal is preventing the biological environment that allows it to develop.

The emerging science tells a different story than the one of "inevitable decline." While genetics matter, lifestyle factors appear to play an enormous role in determining whether the brain remains resilient.

That journey begins today.

Coming Next: In Part 2 of this series, I will discuss the lifestyle, nutrition, exercise, and specific supplement strategies (like microglial activation support) that may help support healthy cognitive aging.

Selected References

1. Bredesen DE. J Alzheimers Dis. 2022;88(4):1411-1421.
2. Bredesen DE et al. J Alzheimers Dis. 2018;64(3):885-898.
3. Livingston G et al. Lancet. 2024.
4. De la Monte SM. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2008.
5. Craft S. Arch Neurol. 2012.
6. Ngandu T et al. Lancet. 2015.
7. Arnold SE et al. Nat Rev Neurol.
8. Jack CR Jr et al. Alzheimers Dement.

Ready to stop guessing and get a real plan?
Call (763) 862-7100 or book your free consultation/intake here: https://painandbrainhealingcenter.com/free-consultation-intake/ … and start addressing the root cause.