Lab - APOE Alzheimer's Risk
Benefits At a Glance
Product Description
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in the elderly and currently affects more than 5 million Americans. It is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with brain findings of amyloid plaques containing β-amyloid and neurofibrillary tangles. AD is a complex and heterogeneous disease, influenced by many genetic and environmental factors.
The risk for development of late-onset AD is increased approximately two- to threefold for individuals with one copy of the APOE4 variant and by approximately 10- to 15-fold for individuals with two copies of the variant (E4/E4 genotype). The APOE2 variant has some protective effect against the development of late-onset AD. The lifetime risk for late-onset Alzheimer's disease is approximately 10% to 12% in the general population, though it is higher in women than men and doubles when there is a first-degree relative with this disorder. The lifetime risk is approximately 9% for individuals negative for APOE4, and for individuals with E4/E4 may be as high as 25% for males and 45% for females. Among patients with late-onset AD, the presence of APOE4 may lead to earlier development of symptoms.
This is NOT a diagnostic test. While APOEE4 increases the risk of late-onset Alzheimer's disease, there are many other factors involved. We believe understanding risk can be valuable when used to design dietary, exercise, and other lifestyle approaches to reduce the risk.
*Price includes practitioner interpretation and recommended dietary, lifestyle, and therapeutic interventions.