APOE ε4 Genotype and the Risk for Subjective Cognitive Impairment in Elderly Persons

The authors compared the risk for subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) between carriers of the apolipoprotein E ε4 (APOE ε4) allele (cases) and APOE ε4 noncarriers (controls). SCI was assessed by a validated self-reported questionnaire. The authors used multivariable logistic regression analyses to compute odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals adjusted for age, sex, education, and marital status. Data were available on 114 participants (83 women; 47 APOE ε4 carriers; mean age, 69 years). The risk for SCI was significantly higher among cases than controls, particularly for those 70 years of age and older. These findings should be considered preliminary until confirmed by a prospective cohort study.