Hello. I'm Dr Richard Isaacson, director of the Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian in New York City.
Is it time to start using the apolipoprotein ε4 (APOE4) gene tests to better inform our clinical practice? A new review paper[1] in the Journal of the Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease, by Berkowitz, [myself], and colleagues, talks about how the presence or lack of the APOE4 gene may help to better personalize or guide risk-reduction care for Alzheimer's disease. This field is complicated, which is why this paper is so useful for establishing what the data show.
Studies such as the FINGER trial[2] have shown that a multimodal lifestyle intervention including exercise, nutrition, and cognitive stimulation, in addition to regular follow-up visits with a treating physician or nurse practitioner, can actually have robust effects regardless of whether you have the APOE4 gene or not.
However, the question remains as to whether knowledge is power when it comes to knowing whether a person does have the APOE4 gene. I do think this is the case, not just for the physician but potentially also for the patient. For example, research has shown that physical activity may be even more important when looked at in isolation for people with the
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Using the APOE4 Gene to Determine Alzheimer's Care
Richard S. Isaacson, MD
DisclosuresDecember 11, 2018
Hello. I'm Dr Richard Isaacson, director of the Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian in New York City.
Is it time to start using the apolipoprotein ε4 (APOE4) gene tests to better inform our clinical practice? A new review paper[1] in the Journal of the Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease, by Berkowitz, [myself], and colleagues, talks about how the presence or lack of the APOE4 gene may help to better personalize or guide risk-reduction care for Alzheimer's disease. This field is complicated, which is why this paper is so useful for establishing what the data show.
Studies such as the FINGER trial[2] have shown that a multimodal lifestyle intervention including exercise, nutrition, and cognitive stimulation, in addition to regular follow-up visits with a treating physician or nurse practitioner, can actually have robust effects regardless of whether you have the APOE4 gene or not.
However, the question remains as to whether knowledge is power when it comes to knowing whether a person does have the APOE4 gene. I do think this is the case, not just for the physician but potentially also for the patient. For example, research has shown that physical activity may be even more important when looked at in isolation for people with the
Medscape Neurology © 2018 WebMD, LLC
Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.
Cite this: Richard S. Isaacson. Using the APOE4 Gene to Determine Alzheimer's Care - Medscape - Dec 11, 2018.
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Author(s)
Richard S. Isaacson, MD
Associate Professor, Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
Disclosure: Richard S. Isaacson, has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships:
Serve(d) as a scientific advisor for: Accera, Inc