Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype, dementia, and memory performance among Caribbean Hispanic versus US populations

Abstract

Introduction Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is considered the major susceptibility gene for developing Alzheimer's disease. However, the strength of this risk factor is not well established across diverse Hispanic populations. Methods We investigated the associations among APOE genotype, dementia prevalence, and memory performance (immediate and delayed recall scores) in Caribbean Hispanics (CH), African Americans (AA), Hispanic Americans (HA) and non‐Hispanic White Americans (NHW). Multivariable logistic regressions and negative binomial regressions were used to examine these associations by subsample. Results Our final dataset included 13,516 participants (5198 men, 8318 women) across all subsamples, with a mean age of 74.8 years. Prevalence of APOE ε4 allele was similar in CHs, HAs, and NHWs (21.8%–25.4%), but was substantially higher in AAs (33.6%; P < 0.001). APOE ε4 carriers had higher dementia prevalence across all groups. Discussion APOE ε4 was similarly associated with increased relative risk of dementia and lower memory performance in all subsamples.

Comparison of genetic and health risk factors for mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease between Hispanic and non‐Hispanic white participants

“…Our secondary analysis aimed to examine differences for genetic and health risk factors for MCI and AD between Hispanic and NHW ethnicities and included more participants than previous single or meta-analysis studies. [4][5][6][7][8][9] In our combined data set, the proportion of NHW APOEε4 carriers was 41.8% and the proportion of Hispanic APOEε4 and all-cause MCI diagnoses was significantly weaker in Hispanic participants compared to NHW participants, while no association differences between ethnicities were observed for the influence of APOEε4 on AD diagnoses, which is in line with the previous claim that the APOEε4 allele contributed to dementia and poorer memory performance similarly across racial and ethnic groups. 9 We did find a significantly stronger association between APOEε2 and AD diagnoses in Hispanic participants compared to NHW participants, which was contrary to a previous study that reported APOEε2 had the same neuroprotective effects across ethnicities.…”

“…More specifically within different Hispanic populations, one study found that APOEε4 associated with significant cognitive decline only in Hispanic participants with a Cuban background 7 . However, other studies have found that APOEε4 contributed to worse cognitive impairment in white Hispanic participants than in NHW participants, 8 or that APOEε4 contributed to dementia and poorer memory performance similarly across racial and ethnic groups when comparing Caribbean Hispanic, Hispanic American, African American, and NHW American participants 9 . These previous studies suggest that the influence of APOE genotype on cognitive outcome is still unclear in the Hispanic population, indicating a need for further analyses using larger cohorts in this subject area.…”

Association between healthy lifestyle and memory decline in older adults: 10 year, population based, prospective cohort study

“…In phase 1, we excluded 17 148 individuals who were younger than 60 years or did not give permission to participate. In total, 39…”

“… 38 People who have the APOE ε4 allele are more likely to exhibit abnormally high Aβ levels in the brain and experience more rapid neurodegeneration and memory loss than people who do not. 39 40 41 42 The APOE ε4 allele can also magnify the effects of other risk factors, including physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, and smoking. 43 However, most studies that have explored the role of APOE have focused on the associations between lifestyle and global cognition rather than memory.…”

“…The APOE ε4 allele is reportedly correlated with earlier and more rapidly progressive memory decline,137 and the frequency of the ε4 allele dramatically increases to 40% in patients with Alzheimer’s disease 38. People who have the APOE ε4 allele are more likely to exhibit abnormally high Aβ levels in the brain and experience more rapid neurodegeneration and memory loss than people who do not 39404142. The APOE ε4 allele can also magnify the effects of other risk factors, including physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, and smoking 43.…”