Level of Physical Activity and ApoE Status - Effects on Alzheimer's Disease and on Mortality

The study examined the relationship between physical activity and the ApoE genetic factor in Alzheimer's disease and mortality in 137,593 veterans. The research found that each additional copy of the ApoE-4 gene increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease or death by 19 percent. Conversely, physically active individuals had a 33 percent lower risk compared to inactive individuals. During follow-up averaging 84 months, 47.7 percent of participants (65,628 people) experienced either Alzheimer's disease or death. The protective effect of physical activity was observed across all genetic variant groups, with individuals carrying two copies of the ApoE-4 gene showing a 22 percent risk reduction. The results suggest that physical activity should be a priority preventive strategy, especially for ApoE-4 carriers.