We examined longitudinal associations between ApoE4 + status and several cognitive outcomes and tested effect modification by sex. Data on 644 Non-Hispanic White adults, from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) were used. Dementia onset, cognitive impairment and decline were assessed longitudinally. After 27.5 years median follow-up, 113 participants developed dementia. ApoE4 + predicted dementia significantly (HR=2.89; 95% CI: 1.93-4.33), with non-significant sex differences. Taking all time points for predicting cognition, women had significantly stronger positive associations than men between ApoE4 + status and impairment or decline on the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT-delayed recall and List A total recall) and on Verbal Fluency Test-Categories. This ApoE4×sex interaction remained significant with bonferroni correction only for CVLT-delayed recall. Taking time points prior to dementia for cognitive predictions, the positive association between impairment in CVLT-delayed recall and ApoE4 + status remained stronger among women, though only before bonferroni correction. While ApoE4+ status appears to be a sex neutral risk factor for dementia, its association with verbal memory and learning decline and impairment was stronger among women.
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