ReviewGenes and environment : the official journal of the Japanese Environmental Mutagen Society2025
Genetics and environmental determinants of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in older Africans: a narrative review.
Review in Genes and environment : the official journal of the Japanese Environmental Mutagen Society, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Review
- Regulatory Variation at TERT and TERC Shows Limited Association with Early-Onset Alzheimer's Disease in Carriers of the Mexican Founder MutationMedical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Ageing, Wealth, and Diet: A Global Cross-National Analysis of Cereal Consumption and Dementia Risk.Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders · 2026Article
- Gut microbiota and brain aging: a comparative review of African and western populations.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2026Review
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Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
The burden of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) is rising in Africa, yet research remains limited compared to high-income regions. This narrative review investigated the genetic and environmental determinants of ADRD in older African populations, with a focus on the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene. Although APOE ε4 is a strong risk factor for Alzheimer's disease globally, its role in African populations appears less pronounced and variable, likely due to genetic diversity, evolutionary adaptations, and environmental interactions. We discussed the epidemiology of dementia in Africa, contrasting urban and rural patterns, and examined the distribution and effects of APOE alleles across African regions. Additionally, we reviewed how environmental exposures-including malaria, hypertension, HIV, heavy metals, pesticides, vitamin D deficiency, and air pollution-interact with APOE genotypes to influence cognitive decline. Critical challenges such as healthcare disparities, diagnostic inconsistencies, and underrepresentation in genomic studies were highlighted. Finally, we emphasized the need for longitudinal, multicenter research and initiatives like the African Dementia Consortium to bridge knowledge gaps and inform culturally tailored interventions for dementia prevention and care in Africa.
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Registered trials
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