Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype is believed to play a role in the onset of dementia, though less is known about its relationship with non-pathogenic age-related cognitive decline.
These results demonstrate that the rs405509 T/T allele of APOE causes an age-related cognitive decline in non-demented elderly people, possibly by modulating brain network communication efficiency, which may be beneficial for understanding the neural mechanisms of rs405509-related cognitive aging and AD pathogenesis.
Dyslipidemia and apolipoprotein E4 (APOE ϵ4) allele are risk factors for age-related cognitive decline, but how these risks are modified by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is unclear.
The study by Rajan and colleagues (published in this issue of Psychosomatic Medicine) speaks to this possibility and, importantly, considers the association between depressive symptoms and age-related cognitive decline in the context of APOE variation.
Presence of the APOE ε4 allele is also associated with increased risk of cerebral amyloid angiopathy and age-related cognitive decline during normal ageing.
Thus, the sex difference in the risk of sporadic AD may partly be explained by a sex-specific impact of the APOE epsilon4 allele on age-related cognitive decline.