APOE gene and Alzheimer disease risk

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia among older people. Dementia is a brain disorder that seriously affects a person's ability to carry out daily activities.

AD begins slowly. It first involves the parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language. People with AD may have trouble remembering things that happened recently or names of people they know.

The APOE gene encodes an enzyme associated with cholesterol transport in the body. It also helps transport cholesterol and fatty acids to neurons in the brain. 25% of population have an APOE variant which is associated with higher circulating levels of LDL cholesterol and 3 times increased risk of Alzheimers.