When the direct-to-consumer genetic testing company 23andMe received FDA approval back in April to market a test for the e4 variant of the gene APOE, which is associated with elevated risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, it gave people a possible peek into their futures.
About 15 percent of the population has one or two copies of the high-risk gene variant. For a long time the risk of developing Alzheimer’s for e4 double-dose individuals was 12 to 15 fold, but only 3 fold for those with one copy. Those figures have declined with re-analysis of the data.
A new 31-gene test can identify individuals at higher risk for the disease, including many who test okay for APOE e4. (Which stands for "apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 allele.")
A MORE POWERFUL TEST Read More
About 15 percent of the population has one or two copies of the high-risk gene variant. For a long time the risk of developing Alzheimer’s for e4 double-dose individuals was 12 to 15 fold, but only 3 fold for those with one copy. Those figures have declined with re-analysis of the data.
A new 31-gene test can identify individuals at higher risk for the disease, including many who test okay for APOE e4. (Which stands for "apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 allele.")
A MORE POWERFUL TEST Read More