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Factbox: What is APOE4 and how does it relate to Alzheimer's disease?

By Julie Steenhuysen
April 21, 2023 9:10 AM GMT-3 · Updated 2 months ago

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NEW YORK, April 21 (Reuters) - APOE4 is the strongest risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's, the most common form of the disease that
develops after the age of 65, according to the National Institutes of Health. The disease afflicts more than 6 million people in the United
States.

It is one of three forms of the apolipoprotein E gene, which encodes instructions for a protein that carries cholesterol around the
bloodstream. Three decades ago, scientists discovered that the gene also plays a role in Alzheimer's risk, though exactly how is still not
clear.

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27/6/23, 23:48 Factbox: What is APOE4 and how does it relate to Alzheimer's disease? | Reuters

Everyone has two copies of the APOE gene, one inherited from each parent. APOE3 is the most common, and does not raise Alzheimer's
risk. APOE2, which is rare, may be protective against the disease.

APOE4 increases Alzheimer's risk and is linked with an earlier onset of the disease. Some 25% of people have one copy of APOE4 and 2-
5% have two copies.

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27/6/23, 23:48 Factbox: What is APOE4 and how does it relate to Alzheimer's disease? | Reuters

Children of a parent with two copies of the APOE4 variant are presumed to have at least one copy, increasing their own risk.

Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; editing by Caroline Humer and Louise Heavens

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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