Are anti-APOE Alzheimer’s therapies safe?

A New York Times piece reviews recent research on the safety of potential Alzheimer’s therapies that focus on genetic factors of the disease. APOE is a hallmark risk factor and perhaps the most common in those who progress to Alzheimer’s, and often earlier than others.

People with two copies of APOE4 have as much as 15 times the risk of developing Alzheimer’s compared to those with only one copy. Those with only one copy still have as much as five times the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Researchers explore whether someone could live without this gene and what that would mean for the brain.