Background: The apolipoprotein E (ApoE) epsilon 4 allele is associated with an increased risk of senile and probably presenile Alzheimer's disease. It is not yet clear whether the epsilon 4 allele also influences the duration/rate of progress of illness and the severity of the dementia.
Method: We have retrospectively examined a series of ApoE genotyped presenile and senile autopsy cases of Alzheimer's disease (AD) for length of illness and severity of pathology.
Results: We find no evidence that ApoE genotype affects the rate of progress of AD, but the degree of pathology at death may be increased.
Conclusion: It appears that the rate of progress of AD as a whole is independent of the ApoE genotype.