APOE «4 Allele Frequency Among Cognitively Healthy Members of an Ojibwe Tribal Nation

Objectives APOE «4 frequency varies by geography and ancestry. We provide data regarding the frequency of this allele in the Ojibwe people, the fifth largest Indigenous people in the United States. Methods Population study including 33 cognitively normal older individuals of an Ojibwe Tribal Nation (total population: 984; all with ≥25% Ojibwe ancestry). Results APOE «4 allele frequency was 19.7%, which is comparable with other cognitively normal American Indian, Alaskan Native, and non-Hispanic White populations of the United States and Europe, with the exception of a lower frequency among Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma participants with >50% American Indian ancestry. Discussion While some global populations have very low APOE «4 prevalence, this allele appears common among American Indian Tribal Nations included thus far in the United States. Because APOE «4 is a cornerstone for novel diagnostics and therapeutics for Alzheimer disease (AD), future study is warranted to understand ancestry-dependent effects of APOE «4 on AD risk and biology.