APOE epsilon 4 and Memory Among Patients With Heart Failure

摘要

Twenty-three percent to 50% of heart failure (HF) patients have memory loss. Objectives were to (a) characterize major allelic frequency of 2 variants in apolipoprotein (APOE) gene in HF patients, (b) evaluate differences in memory and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels based on APOE epsilon 4 allele(s), and (c) estimate effect sizes (ESs) and confidence intervals (CIs). In this pilot, 29 HF patients were enrolled and 26 completed. Recall and delayed recall memory were measured at baseline and 12 weeks. Serum was collected at baseline and 8 weeks. Seven (24.1%) patients had APOE epsilon 4 allele. No significant differences were found in recall and delayed recall memory or serum BDNF levels based on APOE epsilon 4 allele. ESs were small to medium; CIs indicated ES precision was small. Future studies are needed to fully understand how genotypic and neuropsychological phenotypic variables influence response to computerized cognitive training.