Association between apolipoprotein E epsilon4 and sleep-disordered breathing in adults.
BACKGROUND
Apolipoprotein E epsilon4(ApoE epsilon4) is a well-known risk factor for Alzheimer disease and cardiovascular disease. Sleep-disordered breathing occurs in Alzheimer disease patients and increases risks for cardiovascular disease. Complex interactions among sleep, brain pathology, and cardiovascular disease may occur in ApoE epsilon4 carriers.


OBJECTIVE
To study whether genetic variation at the level of ApoE is associated with sleep-disordered breathing or sleep abnormalities in the general population.


METHODS
Ongoing longitudinal cohort study of sleep disorders at a US university beginning in 1989, providing a population-based probability sample of 791 middle-aged adults (mean [SD] age, 49 [8] years; range, 32-68 years).


METHODS
Nocturnal polysomnography to evaluate apnea-hypopnea index.


RESULTS
The probability of moderate-to-severe sleep-disordered breathing (apnea-hypopnea index >/=15%) was significantly higher in participants with epsilon4, independent of age, sex, body mass index, and ethnicity (12.0% vs 7.0%; P =.003). Mean (SEM) apnea-hypopnea index was also significantly higher in participants with ApoE epsilon4 (6.5 [0.6] vs 4.8 [0.3]; P =.01). These effects increased with the number of ApoE epsilon4 alleles carried.


CONCLUSIONS
A significant portion of sleep-disordered breathing is associated with ApoE epsilon4 in the general population.
Kadotani
H
H
Center for Narcolepsy, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5485, USA.
Kadotani
T
T
Young
T
T
Peppard
P E
PE
Finn
L
L
Colrain
I M
IM
Murphy
G M
GM
Mignot
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D017286:Polysomnography; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology
D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E