Title: Using genetic variation to understand the relationship between educational attainment and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia
Abstract: Given the high prevalence, associated disparities, and substantial burden of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD), it is essential to research effective strategies for preventing ADRD. This research aims to evaluate the genetic effect of the educational attainment (EA) Polygenic Index (PGI) and ADRD PGI, as well as APOE, on ADRD outcomes. It uses data from FinnGen, a public-private partnership research project including genotypic data and health endpoints. Two outcomes, including all dementia and dementia in AD, are generated from electric health records. The covariates include age, gender, and population stratification indicated by principal components. Linear probability models are used to estimate the relationship between EA/ADRD PGIs and ADRD outcomes. Survival models are also used to model age at first diagnosis. Preliminary results show that APOE, ADRD PGI, and EA PGI are all significantly associated with risk of dementia while only APOE and ADRD PGI are significantly associated with risk of Alzheimer’s dementia. The findings contribute to the increasing literature explaining the mechanisms behind the protective effects of education against ADRD. The research also contributes to the literature on isolating the influences of EA PGI, ADRD PGI (excluding APOE) and APOE on ADRD.
