APOE ε4 and Alzheimer's Disease Risk in Norway
Author Information
Author(s): Sigrid B. Sando, Stacey Melquist, Ashley Cannon, Michael L. Hutton, Olav Sletvold, Ingvild Saltvedt, Linda R. White, Stian Lydersen, Jan O. Aasly
Primary Institution: Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
Hypothesis
Does the APOE ε4 allele influence the risk and age of onset for Alzheimer's disease in central Norway?
Conclusion
The APOE ε4 allele is a strong risk factor for Alzheimer's disease in central Norway and significantly lowers the age at onset of late-onset Alzheimer's disease.
Supporting Evidence
- Carriers of the APOE ε4 allele had an odds ratio of 12.9 for developing Alzheimer's disease.
- The age at onset for Alzheimer's disease decreased by about three years for each APOE ε4 allele carried.
- 64.1% of Alzheimer's patients carried one or more APOE ε4 alleles compared to 26.4% of controls.
Takeaway
If you have a specific gene called APOE ε4, you are more likely to get Alzheimer's disease and will likely get it at a younger age.
Methodology
The study involved genotyping 376 Alzheimer's patients and 561 cognitively-normal controls to compare allele frequencies and calculate odds ratios.
Potential Biases
Potential selection bias due to the recruitment of controls from specific populations.
Limitations
The study's control group was selected to exclude individuals with known dementia in first-degree relatives, which may affect the generalizability of the results.
Participant Demographics
Participants included 376 Alzheimer's patients (263 women, 113 men) and 561 cognitively-normal controls (338 women, 223 men), all ethnic Norwegians.
Statistical Information
P-Value
< 0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI for ORs varies by genotype
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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