Brian Kunkle, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, discusses genetic risk findings across different ancestral populations in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). He explains there is evidence of shared genetics risk factors across ethnicities, as well as detectable differences. Growing data also demonstrates the importance of ancestral background in conferring risk for genetic factors such as APOE ε4: those from European backgrounds with the APOE ε4 allele are more at risk than those from African backgrounds however, those from Asian and Indigenous American ancestral backgrounds have the highest risk. Dr Kunkle emphasizes that this genetic information is important for clinicians and researchers as it helps them make informed decisions regarding how best to advise patients and provides them with the tools to develop potential therapeutics in the future. This interview took place at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2022 in San Diego, CA.
