Alzheimer Disease Risk Similar in Men and Women With APOE4 Genotype

Men and women with the APOE ε3/ε4 genotype have roughly the same risk of developing Alzheimer disease (AD) from age 55 to 85 years, although women have a higher risk at younger ages, according to the results of a recent study.

Long-standing belief has been that women with the APOE ε3/ε4 genotype have a higher risk of developing AD than men.
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For their study, the researchers conducted a review of data from 27 research studies from the Global Alzheimer’s Association Interactive Network, including nearly 58,000 participants.  All participants were aged 55 to 85 years.

Overall, men and women with the APOE ε3/ε4 genotype from ages 55 to 85 years did not show any differences in AD risk, but women had an increased risk between ages 65 and 75 years. Men with the APOE ε3/ε4 genotype had a higher risk of AD than men with the APOE ε3/ε3 genotype, and the APOE ε2/ε3 genotype had a protective effect in women, decreasing AD risk more so than in men. Although no differences in the risk of mild cognitive impairment were observed in men or women between ages 55 and 85 years, women had an increased risk between 55 and 70 years.

“Contrary to long-standing views, men and women with the APOE ε3/ε4 genotype have nearly the same odds of developing AD from age 55 to 85 years, but women have an increased risk at younger ages,” the researchers concluded.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Neu SC, Pa J, Kukull W, et al. Apolipoprotein E genotype and sex risk factors for alzheimer disease [published online August 28, 2017]. JAMA Neurol. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2017.2188.