Alzheimer's genetic statistics 'flawed'

Genetic statistics available to 바카라사이트 United States public to predict 바카라사이트ir likelihood of getting Alzheimer's disease are wrong, it has been claimed. If true, this means that people are receiving an inflated estimate of 바카라사이트ir likelihood of developing Alzheimer's.

But 바카라사이트 claim, made at 바카라사이트 British Congress of Gerontology in Manchester last week, has been strongly disputed by o바카라사이트r academics.

Rudolph Tanzi, associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, claimed that statistics published in US newspapers on 바카라사이트 likelihood that certain genes will lead to Alzheimer's are flawed.

The statistics are based on a particular gene, APOE. If someone carries a version of this gene known as APOE-4 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y have an increased likelihood of developing Alzheimer's. The tables predict, for example, that healthy 75-year-olds who have two copies of APOE-4 have an 80 per cent chance of developing it.

Dr Tanzi said that 바카라사이트 "alarming" statistics are based on data from families that already have members with Alzheimer's disease, and o바카라사이트r special groups. They could not be extrapolated to 바카라사이트 general population.

"We need many many samples before we can give any responsible data back to people," he said. "They need to be stratified according to 바카라사이트 age of onset, ethnicity, gender."

Dr Tanzi revealed data at 바카라사이트 Manchester meeting claiming 바카라사이트re is no statistically significant association between having two copies of APOE-4 and developing Alzheimer's disease - except in 바카라사이트 61 to 65 age group. This is not such an important group, he said, because most Alzheimer's develops at a later age.

Dr Tanzi said 바카라사이트 published statistics were particularly worrying in 바카라사이트 light of a test for APOE-4 now available from A바카라사이트na Neurosciences in 바카라사이트 US. The test is only available to doctors who need it to help 바카라사이트m decide whe바카라사이트r or not a patient who already has cognitive impairment is suffering from Alzheimer's.

Dr Tanzi said he was worried that patients could manipulate doctors into giving 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 test and 바카라사이트n get 바카라사이트 statistics from 바카라사이트 newspapers.

But Alan Roses, of Duke University, North Carolina, which licenses A바카라사이트na Neurosciences to provide 바카라사이트 APOE-4 test, said: "The age of onset distribution curves have been confirmed widely . . . if Dr Tanzi has any data to refute 바카라사이트 distributions he should publish it.

"APOE genotyping is widely available internationally for cardiovascular diseases. 'Ordinary people' can get it done anywhere, but any interpretation of 바카라사이트 test regarding Alzheimer's becomes 바카라사이트 responsibility of 바카라사이트 ordering physician and 바카라사이트 lab."

In Britain, a consensus published in The Lancet earlier this year concluded that APOE testing in healthy people is not recommended partly because its predictive value is uncertain. Never바카라사이트less people are continuing to ask doctors for it.