About the Alzheimer’s Disease APOE DNA Test
The APOE gene is the biggest genetic risk factor linked to the late-onset form of Alzheimer’s disease. The late-onset Alzheimer’s disease APOE genetic test detects which APOE alleles you had inherited from your parents. These alleles indicate whether an individual has an increased lifetime risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Genetic variants of APOE
There are three genetic variants (or alleles) of APOE: APOE e2, APOE e3 and APOE e4. Each person inherits one APOE allele from each parent, so there are six possible combinations of the APOE alleles.
The late-onset Alzheimer’s disease APOE genetic test detects the specific APOE alleles that you had inherited from your parents. These alleles indicate whether an individual has an increased lifetime risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
APOE e2 is relatively rare (present in 8.4% of the population) and appears to have a slight protective affect against Alzheimer’s disease.
APOE e3 is the most common allele (77.9%) and neither decreases or increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
APOE e4 increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and is present in 13.7% of the population. Individuals with one copy of the APOE e4 have three times the risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s, while those with two copies of APOE e4 have 10X to 15X increased lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease.
It is important to note that which having the APOE e4 genotype greatly increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease, there will be some individuals who have one or more APOE e4 alleles that never get Alzheimer’s Disease and other people who develop Alzheimer’s, despite not having any APOE e4 genes.
What is APOE?
The APOE gene encodes a protein in your body called Apolipoprotein E (ApoE). ApoE is essential for packaging and carrying cholesterol and fats through the bloodstream. There are three common alleles of the APOE gene: APOE e2, APOE e3 and APOE e4. APOE e4 is the strongest known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s, while APOE e3 is the most common allele, and APOE e2 appears to have a neuroprotective effect against Alzheimer’s.
What is Alzheimer’s disease?
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder characterized initially by memory loss and later by the loss of thinking, reasoning and behavioral abilities. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia accounting for 50 – 75% of approximately 44 million dementia cases worldwide in 2015. There are both early-onset and late-onset forms of the disease, with the late-onset form of Alzheimer’s occurring in more than 90% of cases. The lifetime risk of getting Alzheimer’s is estimated at 10 – 12% and for those individuals who have a family member with late-onset dementia; the risk increases to 15 – 30%. The prevalence of dementia and, in particular, Alzheimer’s increases with age with an estimated 25 – 45% of persons over 85 years suffering from some form of dementia.
How common is Alzheimer’s disease?
The prevalence of dementia and, in particular, Alzheimer’s disease, increases with age with an estimated 25 – 45% of persons over 85 years suffering from some form of dementia. The lifetime risk of getting Alzheimer’s is estimated at 10 – 12% and for those individuals who have a family member with late-onset dementia; the risk increases to 15 – 30%.
Can the APOE DNA test diagnose Alzheimer’s disease?
The APOE e4 allele is found in the majority of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Individuals who test positive for one copy of the APOE e4 allele have 3X increased risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease compared to an individual who has tested negative for APOE e4. Individuals who test positive for two copies of the APOE e4 allele have a 10 – 15X increased risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease compared to an individual who has tested negative for APOE e4.
However, since not all individuals who have the APOE e4 eventually develop the disease, the presence of the APOE e4 allele is not by itself diagnostic of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease in a symptomatic individual.
Additional Information
How is the Alzheimer’s Disease APOE Gene Inherited?
Understanding your Alzheimer’s Disease Risk (ApoE) DNA Test Results
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