Apolipoprotein E ε4 allele is associated with vascular dementia

Background/Aims: The apolipoprotein E (ApoE) exon 4 polymorphism has been associated with vascular dementia (VaD) risk. Since not all studies confirm this finding, we explored this association in a case-control study. Methods: We genotyped ApoE in 144 VaD patients and 251 controls. Results: VaD patients were more likely than controls to have ApoE epsilon 3/epsilon 4 or epsilon 4/epsilon 4 genotypes: 23.6% versus 15.1%, odds ratio ( OR) = 1.7, p = 0.036. This association remained significant after adjustment for age, sex, hypertension and diabetes by multiple logistic regression: OR = 1.9, p = 0.030. The association of epsilon 3/epsilon 4 or epsilon 4/epsilon 4 genotypes with VaD was strong among people with hypertension ( OR = 2.9, p = 0.007) or diabetes ( OR = 6.5, p = 0.011). The association was absent among people without hypertension ( OR = 1.1, p = 0.79) or diabetes ( OR = 1.3, p = 0.43). Conclusion: This interaction with hypertension and diabetes should be examined in other studies to confirm or refute this observation. Copyright (C) 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel.