individuals of Hellenic origin. We found that the e4 allele of the ApoE gene was significantly less frequent in healthy aged individuals compared to the general population (3.1% vs 8.58%, p=.020), indicating a potential unfavorable effect of this allele on longevity. The distribution of ApoE genotypes in the healthy aged group was comparable to that in the control group, except for E3/3 and E3/4, which were significantly higher (87.50% vs 75.99%, p=.025) and lower (5.00% vs 13.19%, p=.036), respectively, in healthy aged individuals.

ApoE is a glycoprotein that mediates the binding of lipid particles to specific lipoprotein receptors and is encoded by a 4-exon gene located on chromosome 19. Three major isoforms of ApoE (E2, E3, and E4) result from different amino acid substitutions at positions 112 and 158 in the protein. ApoE has been widely studied for its effects on lipid profile and coronary heart disease (CHD) risk, with e4 allele being a significant risk factor for CHD, whereas e2 allele has no effect.

In our study, we enrolled a random sample of healthy adults from a survey conducted in the region of Thessaly and a group of healthy individuals older than 80 years from the same region. APOE genotyping was done blindly in both groups, and outcome was assessed without knowledge of individual APOE genotype or health status.

Our results suggest that the absence of e4 allele may offer a better chance for longer life in Hellenic individuals. However, further studies are needed to confirm these findings and explore potential environmental and genetic factors that may attenuate the effect of this allele on longevity.population. The study found that the frequency of APOE alleles in Greek adults is similar to that observed in other Southern European populations. However, the frequency of the e4 allele was lower in healthy individuals older than 80 years compared to those younger than 60 years. This suggests that the absence of this allele is one factor that favors longevity among others. The interplay between genetic and environmental factors may be responsible for the variation of the unfavorable effect of the e4 allele in aged populations. Therefore, regional studies are essential in obtaining a clearer image of the relationship between ApoE polymorphism and a patient's diet, lifestyle, and other local environmental factors. Several studies have shown that ApoE is a strong independent risk factor for macrovascular disease, including CHD and AD. The e4 allele seems to play an important role in successful aging due to its inverse association with decreased longevity. However, other factors such as hypertension, obesity, and diabetes mellitus are additional determinants that may modulate CHD risk. A healthy lifestyle could decrease the undesirable effects of the e4 allele on the lipid profile and alleviate its risk. In conclusion, there is a biologic link between CHD and AD because both diseases share common risk factors, including genetic ones. The clinical relevance of this plausible link requires further investigation. This study was supported by a grant from the Hellenic Endocrine Society.Setting: BMC Health.

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From http://biomedgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/ by guest on April 12, 2016.