Apolipoprotein E-polymorphism, frailty and mortality in older adults
Kenneth Rockwood1, Bassam Nassar, Arnold Mitnitski
1Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Kenneth.Rockwood@Dal.Ca
Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
|February 13, 2008
Summary
Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) polymorphism is not associated with frailty in older adults. This study found no link between ApoE variants and frailty, regardless of how frailty was measured.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Genetics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene polymorphism is linked to various health conditions and mortality.
- However, its association with frailty, a state of increased vulnerability in older adults, remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between apolipoprotein E (ApoE) polymorphism and frailty in a cohort of older adults.
- To determine if ApoE genotype influences the risk of developing frailty or mortality.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Canadian Study of Health and Aging, including 1452 adults aged 70+ with 5-year follow-up.
- Assessed frailty using both the phenotypic Cardiovascular Health Study (Frailty-CHS) definition and the Frailty Index.
- Analyzed the association between ApoE alleles (particularly ApoE4) and frailty/mortality using age-sex adjusted and cognitive impairment-adjusted models.
Main Results:
- ApoE4 allele was associated with a higher risk of death in age-sex adjusted analyses (HR=1.20), but this was not significant after adjusting for cognitive impairment (HR=1.06).
- No significant association was found between ApoE polymorphism and frailty, whether defined by Frailty-CHS or the Frailty Index.
- These findings were consistent across different frailty assessment methods.
Conclusions:
- The study data do not support a direct association between apolipoprotein E (ApoE) polymorphism and frailty in older adults.
- Cognitive impairment may mediate the relationship between ApoE genotype and mortality, but not frailty.
- Frailty risk is not demonstrably influenced by ApoE genotype in this population.
More Related Videos
05:53Measuring Frailty in HIV-infected Individuals. Identification of Frail Patients is the First Step to Amelioration and Reversal of Frailty
Published on: July 24, 2013
09:37A Phenotyping Regimen for Genetically Modified Mice Used to Study Genes Implicated in Human Diseases of Aging
Published on: July 14, 2016
Related Concept Videos
01:11Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase
Genetic polymorphisms in drug targets have emerged as critical determinants of interindividual variability in drug response and toxicity. Pharmacogenomic investigations increasingly focus on identifying these variations to personalize and optimize therapeutic interventions. A drug target may be a receptor, enzyme, or signaling protein involved in pharmacologic responses or disease-related pathways. While early pharmacogenetic studies focused primarily on drug metabolism, current research...
01:29Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction
Alzheimer disease is a chronic, progressive, and irreversible neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia in older adults. It leads to gradual neuronal loss, causing cognitive decline, behavioral changes, and loss of functional independence.Risk Factors and EtiologyThe disease is multifactorial. Age is the strongest risk factor, with prevalence doubling every 5 years after age 65. Genetic factors include mutations in genes such as APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2, which are associated...
01:00Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution
Drug distribution in the human body is influenced by several factors, including plasma protein concentration, body composition, blood flow, tissue-protein concentration, and tissue fluid pH. Among these, changes in plasma protein concentration and body composition due to aging significantly affect how drugs are distributed within the body. Specifically, aging is associated with a decrease in albumin levels by about 10% and an increase in α1-acid glycoprotein levels. These alterations are not...
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...
01:18Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Metabolism
Geriatric patients show significant variation in how their bodies process medications, which can change how effective and safe treatments are. The liver is the primary organ where drug metabolism occurs, involving two main types of chemical reactions: phase I and II. Phase I metabolism is driven by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system, which includes key types such as CYP3A, CYP2D6, and CYP2C9. Research indicates that while aging doesn't notably alter the levels or activity of these enzymes, it...
01:15Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients
Elderly individuals encompass a diverse population with varying degrees of age-related physiological changes. Defining the elderly presents challenges, as the geriatric population is often arbitrarily categorized as individuals older than 65. However, many individuals in this group lead active and healthy lives, with an increasing number surpassing 85 years and falling into the older elderly category. Physiological changes associated with aging impact performance capacity and homeostatic...