The results of a new study on Alzheimer's disease in African-Americans has revealed that African-Americans are not more likely to have the disease than whites due to the possession of a particular gene. An article in the New York Times has revealed that the gene APoE4, which has long been linked to the increase of Alzheimer's risk in those of European ancestry, is equally present in older African-Americans. Originally, researchers believed the gene ABCA7 was more likely to be present in African-Americans. However, the new study, which included over 6,000 African-American participants over the age of 60, showed otherwise. The gene APoE4 was found in equal amounts of African-Americans as those who descended from European ancestry.
And ABCA7 was not very common, still leaving most Alzheimer’s risk unexplained. About 9 of every 100 African-Americans with Alzheimer’s had the gene, compared with 6 out of 100 who did not have the disease.
This shows that many questions about the disease are still left unanswered. The research paper on the subject was published online on the Journal of the American Medical Association. There is clearly much more research to be done before we truly understand the causes behind this horrible disease.
That’s very interesting I read an article posted not that long ago, maybe a week, about their findings on the ABCA7. It stated that the ABCA7 gene has a role in the production of lipids and cholesterol which is more common among African Americans. This lipid and cholesterol imbalance gives the disease a more crucial pathway. It’s disheartening to see us get one step closer then right back to square one.
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