The link between alleles in apolipoprotein E (APOE) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD) has been established in most human populations. Recent studies have shown that this link is either weak or non-existent in the African American population. This research and the fact that African Americans are the fastest growing component of the elderly population in the U.S. emphasizes the need for research into the risk factors for AD in this sub-group. Recent studies have noted an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease with AD; in one study a hypothesis that high blood pressure is a risk for AD was proposed. As the African American population has the highest lifetime risk of developing hypertension in the U.S., we propose a case/control study to investigate the association between polymorphisms in genes linked to hypertension with respect to their association with risk of developing AD. We will use polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based methods to identify and characterize polymorphisms of these genes that occur with AD and we will compare the relationship of the different polymorphisms of these genes to the polymorphisms of potential AD risk genes already known. In this manner we hope to isolate genes that may contribute to increased risk of AD in African Americans.
