A new study reveals how APOE4 gene may increase risk for dementia. Dr. Scott Roberts, Lead of our Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core and Professor of Health Behavior & Health Education at the University of Michigan School of Public Health weighs in: “We have known since the early 1990s of the link between the APOE4 gene and elevated risk of Alzheimer’s disease, with hundreds of studies confirming this finding. APOE genotyping is even publicly available via direct-to-consumer genetic testing for those interested in learning more about their chances of developing the disease. However, we know surprisingly little about how and why APOE4 contributes to the development of Alzheimer’s disease in the brain. This study highlights how APOE4 may be involved, with lipid imbalances in brain cells as a possible explanation.”
Read more about the study here.