Almost everyone over the age of 65 who carries two copies of the APOE4 gene variant showed early signs of the disease making it a distinct genetic form of Alzheimer's, scientists said.
In the latest research, the team found a majority of people with two copies of APOE4 showed signs of the disease by the age of 55. Lead author Dr Juan Fortea, director of the research area on neurological diseases, neuroscience, and mental health at the Sant Pau Research Institute in Barcelona, Spain, said: “This gene has been known for over 30 years and it was known to be associated with a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. But now we know that virtually all individuals with this duplicated gene develop Alzheimer’s biology.
“So we have to think about how we can treat APOE4 carriers. These individuals are desperate – they have seen it in both of their parents.” Each of us carries two copies of APOE, one inherited from each parent – and this means there are different combinations people can carry. APOE2 decreases and APOE4 increases risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Between 15 and 25 per cent of us carry one copy of APOE4 and about 1 in 50 people carry two copies.
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