For people with APOE4 in Australia
You have an APOE4 result. What now?
An APOE4 result can raise more questions than it answers.
What does it actually do?
Should I be doing anything differently?
Around one in four people carry APOE4.1 You’re far from alone.
OnlineAustralia-wide
Understanding APOE4
A risk factor, not a prediction.
We all carry the APOE gene, with one copy inherited from each parent. Its three common forms are APOE2, APOE3 and APOE4. It makes a protein that helps transport fats, including cholesterol, around the body and brain.
APOE4 is the strongest common genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. One copy is associated with higher risk; two copies with higher risk again.2
Many people who carry APOE4 never develop Alzheimer’s disease, and people without APOE4 can still develop it.
Genes matter. They aren’t the whole story.
1Wang YY, et al. J Alzheimers Dis. 2021.
2Yamazaki Y, et al. Nat Rev Neurol. 2019.
Cognitive health and APOE4
Focus on what you can influence.
You can’t change the genes you inherited. You can change a lot of what happens around them.
Clinical trials show that lifestyle programs combining movement, nutrition, cognitive activity and health monitoring can support cognition in older adults at increased risk.3
A 2025 analysis of three trials suggests multidomain lifestyle interventions may be particularly beneficial for APOE4 carriers.4
3Ngandu T, et al. Lancet. 2015.
4Lehtisalo J, et al. Alzheimers Dement. 2025.
From Rachel
“I carry APOE4 too.”
When I found out, I wasn’t surprised, but I didn’t know what it meant or what to do differently. My first reaction was a quiet panic about Alzheimer’s.
Then I learnt my genes are only one part of my overall risk. I can’t change them, but I can influence many of the other factors that shape cognitive health. Now I focus on those, a little every day.
Rachel PuncheonFounder, Cognevity®
About RachelAPOE4 Together
Keep going, together.
APOE4 Together is a small online group for people who carry APOE4 and want to act on it with others in the same position.
Learn what the gene does, which factors you can influence and how to build changes into daily life. Share experiences, support each other and track your progress.
One-to-one options
Work through it with me.
Cognitive Health Strategy Session
Not sure what to do next? In one focused session, we talk about your circumstances and work through your APOE4 questions, options and next steps. Leave with a written summary.
Cognevity Alongside
Want ongoing support? Five sessions of one-to-one support to turn priorities into practical changes and keep them going.
FAQ
What people ask about APOE4.
How can I get an APOE4 test in Australia?
Ask your GP for a request form and take it to your usual pathology provider, or order a test privately. Prices vary between providers, from around $154 to $190. Before testing, understand what a result can and cannot tell you. Since 8 October 2026, Australian law stops life insurers using adverse genetic test results, including APOE4, when deciding on life, income protection or trauma cover. Other insurance, such as travel insurance, isn’t covered by the ban.
Indicative prices as of October 2026. Prices may change.
How is this different from seeing my GP?
Your GP diagnoses, orders and interprets tests, and prescribes. I don’t do any of those. My role is to help you understand the evidence, set priorities and put changes into practice between appointments. If something needs medical attention, I’ll encourage you to see your GP and help you prepare the questions to ask.
How common is APOE4 in Australia?
Around one in four people carry at least one copy of APOE4.1 Applied to Australia’s population, that’s an estimated six million people or more.
Does having APOE4 mean I’ll develop Alzheimer’s disease?
No. APOE4 is associated with a higher risk of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, but it is not a diagnosis or a prediction. Many people who carry APOE4 never develop it, and many other risk factors can be influenced.
Is APOE4 the only gene that matters?
No. APOE is one of thousands of genes, and cognitive health reflects how your genes, health, environment and lifestyle interact. APOE4 matters because it is the strongest common genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, but it is still one part of the picture.
Should I be doing anything differently because I carry APOE4?
The foundations of cognitive health are the same whether or not you carry APOE4. Research suggests a multidomain approach, combining several lifestyle areas at once, may be particularly beneficial for APOE4 carriers.4 How you put it into practice depends on your health, what you already do and what fits your life.
Cognevity complements care from your GP or specialist and does not replace it. Please discuss new or concerning changes in memory or thinking with your GP. Research findings on this page describe results from published studies, not Cognevity clients. Individual results vary.