- 1,711studies in the library match, of 29,380
- 314name it in the title
- 1993–2026years published
- 1,648peer-reviewed articles
The query: title or abstract mentions "APOE4", "APOE ε4", "APOE e4", "ε4", "e4 allele/carrier" or "apolipoprotein E4", matched case-insensitively against each record's title and abstract (its summary field) in alzhub's library of 29,380 study records, as of 2026-11-08. Every count on this page comes from that match. The matched list as JSON.
Everyone carries two copies of the APOE gene, in one of three common forms: ε2, ε3 and ε4. The ε4 form raises the chance of developing Alzheimer's and tends to bring symptoms earlier; two copies raise it more than one. It is a risk factor, not a cause: many people with ε4 never develop dementia, and many people with dementia do not carry it.
Studies report APOE4 risk in different ways, as odds ratios, hazard ratios, lifetime risk, or age of onset, and often for a particular population, so the figures quoted below should be read with the study's design and participants in mind.
This page describes what published research in alzhub's library reports. It is not medical advice and does not apply to any one person: a doctor who knows the person's history is the only one who can say what a result or a treatment means for them.
What the studies report, in their own words
Whole sentences copied from the abstract or key findings of the highest-scoring matched studies, chosen because they mention the subject and give a figure. 8 of the 1,711 matched records are quoted; each links to its study page and from there to the paper.
“The p-tau181 and NfL associations were stronger among APOE ε4 carriers; BBMs varied non-linearly by age.”
“Using data from a community-based, prospective cohort study (n = 15,043; 26.9% Black race, 55.1% women and 30.8% with at least one apolipoprotein E4 (APOE ε4) allele), we estimated the lifetime risk of dementia (from age 55 years to 95 years), with mortality treated as a competing event.”
“Results Results from the Japanese subgroup analyses were generally consistent with those of the overall study population across endpoints, while a lower mean body weight (kg) and a smaller proportion of ApoE ε4 carriers were observed in the Japanese subgroup population.”
“The APOE4 allele, but not AD-GRS, was associated with baseline lower hippocampus volume (β = -0.27, p = 0.001), greater amyloid deposition (β = 0.48, p = 0.001), 2-year decline in hippocampus (β = -0.27, p = 0.01), total gray matter volume (β = -0.25, p = 0.01), and cortical thickness (β = -0.28, p = 0.003).”
“Subgroup analyses included (i) MCI versus mild AD; (ii) with versus without concomitant AD medications; and (iii) Apolipoprotein E (ApoE4) carriers versus non-carriers.”
“1795 participants with early AD were enrolled in Clarity AD, of which 1521 were ApoE ε4 heterozygotes or non-carriers (85 %).”
“Results The likelihood of amyloid positivity was associated with age and APOE ε4 status.”
“The risk of ARIA-E was 2.19 times higher (95 %CI:1.91-2.50) and ARIA-H was 3.45 times higher (95 %CI:1.35-8.72) in ApoE4 carriers versus non-carriers.”
What kind of evidence it is
By study design
| Design (as recorded) | Studies |
|---|---|
| Systematic review or meta-analysis | 54 |
| Randomised controlled trial | 15 |
| Other clinical trial | 32 |
| Cohort or longitudinal study | 283 |
| Case-control study | 32 |
| Cross-sectional study | 105 |
| Other recorded design | 15 |
| No design recorded | 1,175 |
The design is the one named in alzhub's record for the study; a record with none is counted as "no design recorded".
By year
| Year | Studies | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 158 | |
| 2025 | 238 | |
| 2024 | 106 | |
| 2023 | 92 | |
| 2022 | 93 | |
| 2021 | 88 | |
| 2020 | 82 | |
| 2019 | 62 | |
| 2018 | 63 | |
| 2017 | 71 | |
| 2016 and earlier | 658 |
Other counts within the matched set
| Peer-reviewed articles | 1,648 |
| Marked open access in the record | 514 |
| Rated "high" evidence strength in alzhub's summary | 136 |
| Rated "moderate" evidence strength in alzhub's summary | 504 |
| Rated "low" evidence strength in alzhub's summary | 1,059 |
| No evidence-strength rating | 12 |
| Records stating a participant count | 778 |
| Median participants (those records) | 364 |
| Largest participant count | 1,059,130 |
Within the 1,711 matched studies
| Studies… | Count | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| …that also mention two copies (homozygous) | 162 | the abstract also contains "homozygous", "two copies", "ε4/ε4" or "e4/e4" |
| …that also report a hazard or odds ratio | 942 | the abstract also contains "hazard ratio", "odds ratio", "HR" or "OR" |
| …that also mention ancestry, race or ethnicity | 163 | the abstract also contains "ancestry", "race", "ethnic" or a named group |
The 10 highest-scoring matched studies
Title matches first, then by alzhub's usefulness score, which rates a study's design, journal, evidence and recency, not whether its result is good news.
- Lecanemab for treatment of individuals with early Alzheimer's Disease (AD) who are apolipoprotein E ε4 (ApoE ε4) non-carriers or heterozygotes
- Efficacy and APOE ε4-stratified risk of donanemab in Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials
- Variants in the ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABCA7), apolipoprotein E ϵ4,and the risk of late-onset Alzheimer disease in African Americans
- Clinical Effects of Tramiprosate in APOE4/4 Homozygous Patients with Mild Alzheimer's Disease Suggest Disease Modification Potential
- Effects of Anserine/Carnosine Supplementation on Mild Cognitive Impairment with APOE4
- Rare genetic variation in fibronectin 1 (FN1) protects against APOEε4 in Alzheimer's disease
- APOE4 impact on soluble and insoluble tau pathology is mostly influenced by amyloid-β
- The APOE-epsilon4 allele and the risk of Alzheimer disease among African Americans, whites, and Hispanics
- APOE ε4, white matter hyperintensities, and cognition in Alzheimer and Lewy body dementia
- Longitudinal modeling of age-related memory decline and the APOE epsilon4 effect
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses in the set
54 of the matched records are recorded as a systematic review, meta-analysis or umbrella review; the highest-scoring not already listed above:
- Prevalence of amyloid PET positivity in dementia syndromes: a meta-analysis
- Influence of patient characteristics on efficacy and safety of anti-amyloid monoclonal antibodies in Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis
- Central autonomic network dysfunction and plasma Alzheimer's disease biomarkers in older adults
- The ApoE Gene Is Related with Exceptional Longevity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Efficacy and safety of anti-amyloid-β monoclonal antibodies in current Alzheimer's disease phase III clinical trials: A systematic review and interactive web app-based meta-analysis
Newest matched studies
- Longitudinal plasma biomarkers and multimodal PET across APOE ε4 genotypes: a prospective cohort study
- Brain-Derived pTau217 and Plasma Proteomic Profiles Across Cognitive and Dementia Groups in Congolese Older Adults
- ApoE4 and Psychosis in Neurodegenerative and Non-Neurodegenerative Disease: A Scoping Review
- Genetic susceptibility to Lewy body disease and the distribution of Lewy pathology
- Associations of genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease with blood-based biomarkers: a community-based study
Journals with the most matched studies
| Journal | Studies |
|---|---|
| Neurology | 186 |
| Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association | 69 |
| Alzheimer's research & therapy | 52 |
| JAMA neurology | 51 |
| Archives of neurology | 46 |
Questions
- What is APOE4?
- One of three common forms of the apolipoprotein E gene. Carrying the ε4 form raises the chance of late-onset Alzheimer's and lowers the typical age at which symptoms begin; carrying two copies raises it further. It does not cause the disease on its own.
- Should I get tested for APOE4?
- That is a decision to make with a clinician or genetic counsellor, not from a web page. The studies below report what the variant means across groups of people, which is different from what it means for one person.
- How many studies on apoe4 and alzheimer's risk does alzhub hold?
- 1,711 of the 29,380 study records in alzhub's library match the query "title or abstract mentions "APOE4", "APOE ε4", "APOE e4", "ε4", "e4 allele/carrier" or "apolipoprotein E4""; 314 of them name it in the title. Counted from the records when this page was built.
- What kinds of study are they?
- 54 systematic review or meta-analysis, 15 randomised controlled trials, 32 other clinical trials, 283 cohort or longitudinal studys, 32 case-control studys, 105 cross-sectional studys; 1,175 record no design.
- What is the most recent study in the set?
- "Longitudinal plasma biomarkers and multimodal PET across APOE ε4 genotypes: a prospective cohort study" (Research Square, 2026), the newest by publication date among the matched records.
- Which journals publish most on it?
- Neurology (186); Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association (69); Alzheimer's research & therapy (52), counted across the matched records.
Read on
- APOE4 by the numbersalzhub's analysis of APOE4 in one research cohort and across the library.
- GeneticsAPOE, other risk genes, and who the studies included.
- Is Alzheimer's hereditary?Family history and the rare inherited forms.