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Although APOE4 gene carriers are at elevated risk for dementia, only about half actually develop dementia; the factors protecting the other carriers are unknown. In a first-of-its-kind, 4-year, prospective study, investigators examined whether positive attitudes toward aging had a protective effect among 4765 dementia-free individuals (mean age, 72; 91% white; 93% married).
About 25% of enrollees were APOE4 carriers. Attitudes toward aging were based on responses to five items (e.g., “Things keep getting worse as I get older”; “Little things bother me more this year”; and “As you get older, you are less useful”).
During the 4-year study, risks for conversion to dementia were 2.4% for noncarriers versus 4.5% for carriers. Among all enrollees, …