It reinforces the genetic risk for brain injury related to hypertension and vascular disease as you age. Having apoE-4, therefore, may increase one s chances of a poor outcome following any brain injury. Scientists studied 414 men participating in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute s Twin Study. With MRI, you re going to catch more of the strokes and white matter disease. We can get a better idea of what s going on in the brain.
Silent strokes occur when smaller blood vessels in the brain are blocked or rupture.
But silent strokes do take their toll over time. When the smaller vessels are unable to deliver oxygen and blood to the brain, cells die. Over time, brain cells that control functions such as memory and motor skills die off, leading to difficulty in memory, concentration and even walking. It may be worth testing people for risk factors and controlling those rather than seeing if they have the apoE-4 or not. The average age of the men in the study was 72 years.