Can Plasma Exchange Slow or Reverse Cognitive Decline? A Conversation With Dr. Brad Younggren

Can Plasma Exchange Slow or Reverse Cognitive Decline? A Conversation With Dr. Brad Younggren

From Alzheimer’s Breakthrough with Dr. Josh Helman, MD by Dr. Josh Helman, MD

January 29, 2026 · 56 min · Episode 54

About this episode

Dr. Josh Helman discusses with Dr. Brad Younggren the potential of therapeutic plasma exchange in addressing cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer’s doesn’t begin with sudden memory loss. It begins decades earlier with systemic breakdowns that modern medicine continues to miss. And by the time someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, the damage seems full-blown. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Brad Younggren to discuss why Alzheimer’s is less a mystery of missing science and more a failure of how our healthcare system is designed. We explore therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) and why removing harmful inflammatory proteins, immune antibodies, plastics, and toxic exposures from the bloodstream may represent a powerful new frontier in brain health, longevity, and chronic disease care. Dr. Younggren shares how this decades-old hospital procedure is being safely re-engineered for outpatient use and why it’s showing promise for dementia, autoimmune illness, and accelerated aging. We also discuss why the exposome, the total toxic burden from plastics, heavy metals, mold, and environmental chemicals, plays a far bigger role in cognitive decline than most people realize. From immune modulation to biological age reversal, this conversation challenges the idea that Alzheimer’s is inevitable or untreatable. If you care…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Josh Helman

Guest: Dr. Brad Younggren

Topics covered

  • cognitive decline
  • Alzheimer's disease
  • therapeutic plasma exchange
  • brain health
  • chronic disease care
  • toxic exposures
  • immune modulation

Keywords

  • plasma exchange
  • cognitive decline
  • Alzheimer's
  • brain health
  • chronic disease
  • toxic burden
  • immune modulation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Alzheimer’s, healthcare system, therapeutic plasma exchange, TPE, immune antibodies, exposome, Dr. Josh

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