Scientific research has revealed that more than 90 percent of Alzheimer’s disease cases, a condition affecting memory and behavior, are linked to a single gene.
Experts from University College London conducted research on more than 750,000 individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease in the United Kingdom, analyzing data from around 450,000 people.
According to researchers, a dangerous genetic combination was found in 93 percent of Alzheimer’s patients. The role of a gene known as APOE had previously been considered less significant.
Experts said that nearly all Alzheimer’s patients carry different variants of this gene, including E2, considered lower risk, E3, more dangerous than expected, and E4, which is the highest risk variant.
Not everyone who carries a high risk gene necessarily develops Alzheimer’s or dementia. Factors such as smoking, obesity, and high blood pressure also increase the risk of the disease.
According to experts, large scale studies have shown that specific genetic combinations significantly increase the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Although lifestyle factors also play a role in the disease, genetic makeup places some individuals at a much higher risk.
This discovery has raised hope for the development of new medicines to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease, particularly if the negative effects of the APOE gene can be reduced or blocked.
