News | Alzheimer's-Related Gene May Increase Female Fertility
A study examined why the Apolipoprotein-ε4 (APOE-ε4) allele remains present in about 20% of the population despite increasing the risk of Alzheimer's disease and cardiovascular disease later in life. Researchers found that APOE-ε4 may be associated with greater female fertility.
Researchers worked with the Indigenous Tsimane people of Bolivia to study APOE-ε4 from an evolutionary anthropology perspective. The Tsimane rely on hunting and farming and live in conditions similar to those before industrialization, making them a valuable population for research on health and aging.
Women with the APOE-ε4 allele had higher fertility. Those with one copy had 0.5 more children than women without the allele, while those with two copies had two more children.
These findings suggest that although APOE-ε4 may contribute to disease later in life, its positive effect on early reproduction may explain why natural selection has not eliminated it.
Interestingly, the gene's adverse effects occur mainly in Western countries. Although APOE-ε4 is as common among the Tsimane as in Western populations, the Tsimane have among the world's lowest rates of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
News | Alzheimer's-Related Gene May Increase Female Fertility
News | Alzheimer's-Related Gene May Increase Female Fertility
A study examined why the Apolipoprotein-ε4 (APOE-ε4) allele remains present in about 20% of the population despite increasing the risk of Alzheimer's disease and cardiovascular disease later in life. Researchers found that APOE-ε4 may be associated with greater female fertility.
Researchers worked with the Indigenous Tsimane people of Bolivia to study APOE-ε4 from an evolutionary anthropology perspective. The Tsimane rely on hunting and farming and live in conditions similar to those before industrialization, making them a valuable population for research on health and aging.
Women with the APOE-ε4 allele had higher fertility. Those with one copy had 0.5 more children than women without the allele, while those with two copies had two more children.
These findings suggest that although APOE-ε4 may contribute to disease later in life, its positive effect on early reproduction may explain why natural selection has not eliminated it.
Interestingly, the gene's adverse effects occur mainly in Western countries. Although APOE-ε4 is as common among the Tsimane as in Western populations, the Tsimane have among the world's lowest rates of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Source:
Compiled from online sources