Apolipoprotein E and Alzheimer's Disease

One of the genes involved in Alzheimer's disease affects a protein called apolipoprotein E (apo E). This protein is one part of lipoproteins, which transport cholesterol through the bloodstream. The gene determines which type of apo E a person has: ε2, ε3, or ε4. People with the ε4 type are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than other people. In contrast, people with the ε2 type may have some protection against Alzheimer's disease. People with the ε3 type are neither protected nor more likely to develop the disease. (These associations have been studied primarily in white people and may not apply to other races.) Genetic testing for apo E type cannot definitively determine whether a person will develop Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, this testing is not routinely recommended.

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