If you have the gene for alzheimer's is there anything you can do to prolong the time before you begin seeing the symptoms?

There is no 1 gene: There is no gene known to casue alzheiemrs disease. There are several genes thought to increase the risk of developing the disease or to lesson the risk of developing it. That being said, exercise is probably the number one thing you can do to protect your brain. Education, learning, controling diabetes, high blood pressure and other illnesses may also increase your time before showing symptoms.

Genes and risk: For most people there are several genes that can influence the risk for Alzheimer's disease (ad). The most important of these risk genes is called apoe. There are three other genes which can cause rare early-onset ad in families. Genetic testing is mostly used in reseach setting and is less common in clinical use today because there is no effective treatment to prevent or delay ad.