Study Identifies Groups at Greatest Risk of Dementia

Using age, sex, and apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype, researchers have identified groups at high risk for Alzheimer disease and all forms of dementia, according to a recent study.

In order to determine the absolute 10-year risk of dementia, researchers obtained data from the Copenhagen General Population Study and the Copenhagen City Heart Study. Participants in the studies underwent a questionnaire, physician examination, and blood sampling at baseline, and dementia diagnoses and cerebrovascular disease diagnoses were obtained from the Danish National Patient Registry.

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Overall, the researchers found that among the 3017 carriers of the APOE ɛ44 genotype, the absolute 10-year risk of Alzheimer disease, the absolute 10-year risk of Alzheimer disease was 7% and 6% at age 60–69 years, 16% and 12% at age 70–79 years, and 24% and 19% at age 80 years and older among women and men, respectively. Corresponding risk for all dementia was 10% and 8%, 22% and 19%, and 38% and 33%, respectively.

Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for all dementia increased by genotype, with those participants with the ɛ44 genotype more likely to develop Alzheimer disease than those with the ɛ33 genotype (HR 8.74). They were also more likely to develop vascular dementia (adjusted HR 2.87, 95% CI 1.54–5.33), unspecified dementia (adjusted HR 4.68) and all dementia (adjusted HR 5.77).

“We found that the absolute 10-year risk of dementia for ɛ44 carriers is modified by age and sex,” the researchers concluded. “Such estimates have the potential to facilitate the identification of high-risk individuals for targeted preventive interventions.”

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Rasmussen KL, Tybjaerg-Hansen A, Nordestgaard BG, Frikke-Schmidt R. Absolute 10-year risk of dementia by age, sex and APOE genotype: a population-based cohort study [published online September 4, 2018]. CMAJ. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.180066.