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Examining the association between Apolipoprotein E (APOE) and self-reported sleep disturbances in non-demented older
Angeliki Tsapanou1, Nikolaos Scarmeas2, Yian Gu3
1Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology and The Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA; Department of Social Medicine, Psychiatry and Neurology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Abstract:
We aimed to examine the association between Apolipoprotein E (APOE) and sleep disturbances. This is a cross-sectional study, from the Washington Heights-Inwood Community Aging Project (WHICAP). A total of 1944 non-demented older adults took part in the study. Sleep dysfunction was measured using sleep categories derived from the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale. Genetic association between APOE-ϵ4 genotype and sleep disturbances was assessed using unadjusted linear regression models. Secondary analyses were conducted adjusting for age, sex, education, ethnicity and body mass index (BMI). In the unadjusted model, individuals carrying the APOE-ϵ4 allele showed lower levels of snoring (β=-0.02, SE=0.01, p=0.010) and sleep apnea (β=-0.01, SE=0.01, p=0.037) when compared to non-ϵ4 carriers. After covariates' adjustment, ϵ4 carriers demonstrated stronger association with lower levels of both snoring (β=-0.02, SE=0.01, p=0.006), and sleep apnea (β=-0.01, SE=0.01, p=0.018). Our results suggest that APOE-ϵ4 is associated with decreased problems in snoring and sleep apnea, in non-demented older adults.
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