Apolipoprotein E e4 Status Predicts Memory Performance and Daily Functioning in Aging Hispanic/Latino Adults

The Hispanic/Latino population is projected to have the steepest increase in cases of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD) by 2060. Although the apolipoprotein (APOE) e4 allele and family history of AD are potent risk factors for dementia, their predictive role in AD/ADRD-related cognitive and functional outcomes in this population remains unclear.

We examined potential main and interactive effects of APOE e4 status and family history of cognitive impairment on neuropsychological performance and daily functioning in aging Hispanic/Latino adults in the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center cohort (n = 475).

Significant main effects of APOE e4 status were observed, such that e4-positive participants demonstrated worse verbal and visual recall and had worse subjective informant reports of daily functioning compared to e4-negative participants (ps < .01). An APOE e4 status × family history interaction effect on auditory attention was also observed (p < .01), with post hoc comparisons indicating that e4-positive individuals with family history performed significantly better than other subgroups.

The present findings extend previous research examining the contributions of APOE e4 status and family history of AD on cognitive and functional outcomes in aging individuals at risk for ADRD, suggesting that in the Latino population, positive APOE e4 status may serve as a more reliable predictor of ADRD-related cognitive and functional outcomes than family history alone. Interventions aimed at reducing ADRD risk through maintenance of cognitive and daily functioning in aging Latinos will be imperative as this population is projected to have the highest increase in ADRD prevalence in the coming decades.