Through genetic testing, a patient learns that he has an apolipoprotein E2 gene.

1 -- The apolipoprotein E gene provides instructions to make a protein that combines with fats in the body to form molecules called lipoproteins which are responsible for packaging cholesterol and other fats and carrying them through the bloodstream. Research has shown that a person who inherits at least one E4 allele will have a greater chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Inheriting the E2 allele seems to indicate that a person is less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. The apolipoprotein E gene does not serve as a predictor for contracting malaria or developing colon-rectal cancer.

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