Nutrition and Dementia Risk for APOE4 Carriers
A review looks at the research on dietary composition and how it affects dementia risk in people carrying the APOE4 gene
APOE4
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, accounting for over half of all global dementia cases.
The risk of developing AD is partially determined by several genes are involved, with APOE being the most well-known. The APOE4 variant is associated with a significantly increased risk for Alzheimer’s, while the APOE2 version is protective. And a recent study identified another protective gene variant: the APOE3 Christchurch (R136S) mutation.
But genes are not destiny. Not everyone who carries an APOE4 allele ( a gene variant) develops AD, and some AD patients don’t have any APOE4 variant in their genome.
This implies that lifestyle has a substantial effect too.
Regular exercise, reading, writing, playing games, learning a new language, making music… All these activities offer some protection against the specter of Alzheimer’s.
Diet matters too. A Japanese or Mediterranean-styled diet is correlated with a lower risk for Alzheimer’s. This food-brain link has spurred some to explore preventing…
