Correlation between the APOE ε4 genotype, lifestyle habits, and cognitive deficits in Chinese adults over 60: a cross-sectional analysis in China

Front Public Health. 2024 Nov 21:12:1417499. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1417499. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Introduction: Apolipoprotein E (APOE) epsilon 4 is regarded as the most significant genetic contributor linked to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Daily life elements might also influence cognitive abilities to some extent. This research aimed to investigate whether carrying APOE ε4 alters the effects of lifestyle on cognitive ability.

Methods: The research included 1871 senior community members with APOE gene data, all participating in clinical, neuropsychological, and daily living factor assessments. Based on their APOE ε4 status, they were categorized into two groups: the APOE ε4 group (n = 362) and the non-APOE ε4 group (n = 1,509). Subsequently, a multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to investigate the link between cognitive deficits and APOE ε4, along with lifestyle patterns.

Results: Our research revealed a reduced incidence of MCI (OR = 0.745, 95% CI: 0.587-0.945, p = 0.015) and dementia (OR = 0.422, 95% CI: 0.259-0.688, p = 0.001) in the non-APOE ε4 carriers. Furthermore, the general linear regression analysis revealed a notable interplay between APOE ε4 and sleep disturbances, potentially impacting cognitive deterioration together (F = 6.817, p = 0.001).

Conclusions: The research indicates that possessing APOE ε4 alters the impact of everyday life factors on cognitive decline. In addition, there is a significant interaction between APOE ε4 and sleep disorders, which may jointly lead to the appearance of cognitive impairment.

Keywords: APOE ε4; community; dementia; mild cognitive impairment; ways of living.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Apolipoprotein E4* / genetics
  • China / epidemiology
  • Cognitive Dysfunction* / genetics
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • East Asian People
  • Female
  • Genotype*
  • Humans
  • Life Style*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged

Substances

  • Apolipoprotein E4

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was supported by grants from This work was supported by the China Ministry of Science and Technology (STI2030-Major Projects-2022ZD0213100), Shanghai public health projects (GWVI-11.2-XD24), Clinical Research Plan of SHDC (No. SHDC2020CR1038B), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82101564, 82001123, and 82271607), the clinical research center project of Shanghai Mental Health Center (CRC2017ZD02), Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Mental Health (19MC1911100), the Feixiang Program of Shanghai Mental Health Center (2020-FX-03), Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA12040101), Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Mental Health (SCRC-MH, 19MC1911100), the Shanghai Science and Technology Committee (20Y11906800).