ApoE and pulse pressure interactively influence level and change in the aging of episodic memory: Protective effects among ?2 carriers.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE:We tested independent and interactive effects of Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) and pulse pressure (PP) concurrently and longitudinally across 9 years (3 waves) of episodic (EM) and semantic memory (SM) data from the Victoria Longitudinal Study. METHOD:We assembled a sample of older adults (n = 570, baseline M age = 71, age range = 53-95) and used latent growth modeling to test 4 research goals. RESULTS:First, the best fitting memory model was 2 single latent variables for EM and SM, each exhibiting configural, metric, and partial scalar invariance. This model was analyzed as a parallel process model. Second, baseline level of PP predicted EM performance at centering age (75) and rate of 9-year EM change. Third, we observed no main effects of ApoE on EM or SM. Fourth, EM was affected by higher PP but differentially less so for carriers of the ApoE ?2 allele than the ?3 or ?4 alleles. CONCLUSIONS:PP is confirmed as a risk factor for concurrent and changing cognitive health in aging, but the effects operate differently across risk and protective allelic distribution of the ApoE gene.

SUBMITTER: McFall GP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4420712 | biostudies-literature | 2015 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature