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Abstract

pants' increase in errors on a continuous measure of cognitive functioning as they aged. Results: We found the APOE 4 allele to predict CD for both African Americans and whites. Having at least one 4 allele predicted more cognitive errors at wave 1 and a faster rate of decline for both African Americans and whites over time. While African Americans experienced a faster rate of CD than whites, there was no additional increase in CD from being both African American and a carrier of the 4 allele. Conclusion: The study points to several common methodological issues that arise when examining racial differences in genetic influences on health-related outcomes. Further, the study's results highlight the importance of including both African Americans and Caucasians in research concerning the contribution of APOE genotype to CD