The actor Chris Hemsworth recently publicly disclosed that he learned that he carries two copies of the Alzheimer’s disease risk gene Apolipoprotein (APOE) e4 (https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/chris-hemsworth-discovers-risk-alzheimers-disease-series-limitless-93442609). We’ve previously discussed direct-to-consumer genetic testing that includes the option for APOE testing on the UCI MIND blog (https://mind.uci.edu/fda-approves-23andme-limited-direct-consumer-genetic-risk-testing/). APOE is the strongest known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. People who carry one or two copies of the e4 allele are at increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease, while people who carry the e2 allele are at lower risk (most people carry two copies of the e3 allele). Another article in the Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/11/17/alzheimers-blood-test-faq/) highlighted the recent availability of the first blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease.

Source: Washington Post November 21, 2022 21:18 UTC