Inside STAT: Neglected gene plays bigger role in Alzheimer's than suspected, study finds 

(FRANCISCO SECO/AP)

Last week, a study found that a woman of Colombian descent had a rare variant of a gene called APOE that seemed to protect her against early-onset Alzheimer’s — despite having another gene that predisposed her to the condition. Now, new details seem to provide even stronger evidence that APOE has a big role to play in determining whether or not a person develops the neurodegenerative disease. In a paper that has been posted to a preprint server and submitted for publication, scientists report two more variants of the gene with seemingly different effects: One variant seems to increase the risk of a person developing Alzheimer’s more than previously estimated, while another, rarer variant — only 5% of people may have it — seems to reduce disease risk by 99.6% compared to DNA with the highest risk. STAT Plus subscribers can read more from Sharon Begley here.