Abstract
The novel respiratory disease COVID-19 produces varying symptoms, with fever, cough, and shortness of breath being common. In older adults, we found that pre-existing dementia is a major risk factor (OR = 3.07, 95% CI: 1.71 to 5.50) for COVID-19 severity in the UK Biobank (UKB). In another UK study of 16,749 patients hospitalized for COVID-19, dementia was among the common comorbidities and was associated with higher mortality. Additionally, impaired consciousness, including delirium, is common in severe cases. The ApoE e4 genotype is associated with both dementia and delirium, with the e4e4 (homozygous) genotype associated with a 14-fold increase in risk of Alzheimer9s disease compared to the common e3e3 genotype, in populations with European ancestries. We therefore aimed to test associations between ApoE e4 alleles and COVID-19 severity, using the UKB data.
Highlights
UK Biobank (UKB) is a community cohort currently aged 48 to 86 (6)
We found that preexisting dementia is a major risk factor for COVID-19 severity in the UK Biobank (UKB) (1)
The ApoE e4 genotype is associated with both dementia and delirium (4), with the e4e4 genotype associated with a 14-fold increase in risk of Alzheimer’s disease (5) compared to the common e3e3 genotype, in populations with European ancestries
Summary
UKB is a community cohort currently aged 48 to 86 (6). COVID19 laboratory test results for UKB participants in England are available from March 16 to April 26, 2020, the peak period of COVID-19 incidence in the current outbreak. The ApoE e4 genotype is associated with both dementia and delirium (4), with the e4e4 (homozygous) genotype associated with a 14-fold increase in risk of Alzheimer’s disease (5) compared to the common e3e3 genotype, in populations with European ancestries.
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