Association of Early Life Risk Factors and APOE ε4 With Incident Dementia: Evidence From 14 Years of U.S. Data.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Early life is a critical period for brain development, laying the foundation for cognitive reserve. However, it remains unclear how various aspects of early life independently contribute to dementia risk, and whether these associations are modified by APOE ε4 genotype.

Participants and setting

We used data from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative cohort of older adults, followed from 2006 to 2020. Our sample included 8678 community-dwelling, dementia-free participants aged ≥ 60 and < 90 at baseline with data on APOE genotype and retrospective early life conditions.

Methods

Dementia incidence was classified using the validated Langa-Weir algorithm. Early life risk domains included financial capital, social capital, human c

SUBMITTER: Choi EY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12448107 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature