APOE-ε4 is associated with weight loss in women with AD: A population-based study

Objective: To investigate whether the APOE -e4 allele is associated with weight loss in patients with AD or in nondemented elderly subjects. Background: Weight loss has been considered a typical feature of AD. APOE -e4 is a risk factor for AD and was recently proposed to be associated with weight loss in elderly women. It is not known whether APOE- e4 is associated with weight loss in patients with AD or in the general population. Methods: Weight and BMI measurements at an average interval of 3.5 years and APOE phenotype determination were performed in an elderly population (n = 980), including 46 patients with AD and 911 control subjects at the end of the follow-up. Results: On average, patients with AD with the e4 allele lost 1.9 ± 4.0 kg (BMI 0.8 ± 1.8 kg/m 2 ) whereas e4 noncarriers gained 1.2 ± 3.8 kg (BMI 0.4 ± 1.5 kg/m 2 ) (both p p p Conclusions: The APOE -e4 allele may contribute to the unexplained weight loss in AD, especially in women.