Key Alzheimer's Gene Acts Differently in Non-Europeans

A study by University of Washington (UW) researchers published in Alzheimer's and Dementia found two variants of the Alzheimer's-affiliated gene apolipoprotein E (APOE) that act differently among Caribbean Hispanics depending on the ancestral origin, reports UW Medicine . The authors discovered that individuals with African-derived ancestry in their APOE gene were 39 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's than those with European-derived APOE. "The results from our study have important implications for the use of personalized genetic risk in populations with diverse ancestries, even for well-established risk factors," said UW School of Public Health Professor Timothy Thornton. The researchers emphasized the need for more studies using larger and more diverse datasets to assess the interrelationships between ancestry, APOE, and Alzheimer's. "When trying to understand the genetic risk of disease, there needs to be a diverse group of people to look at it from all angles," said UW School of Medicine Professor Elizabeth Blue.