2026-04-15 13:49:38

Women diagnosed with osteoporosis could be carrying a hidden risk tied to Alzheimer’s disease.

Scientists have discovered that APOE4 – the most common genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s – may quietly weaken bones in women, even when routine scans suggest everything is normal.

The study, led by researchers at the Buck Institute for Research on Ageing in California, US and UC San Francisco, found that this gene can damage bone at a microscopic level before any visible warning signs appear.

These subtle changes can begin as early as midlife, slipping under the radar of standard imaging tests used to assess bone density.

Experts have long noticed a puzzling overlap: people with Alzheimer’s tend to suffer more fractures, while osteoporosis in women has been flagged as an early predictor of cognitive decline.

By analysing proteins in aged mouse bone, researchers uncovered unusually high levels of molecules linked to neurological diseases, such as those linked to Alzheimer’s.

Bone cells, named osteocytes, showed a striking increase in APOE levels – especially in older female mice, where levels were double those seen in younger or male animals.

Further experiments revealed that APOE4 disrupts a crucial maintenance process inside bone cells.

This prevents them from repairing tiny internal channels that help keep bones strong and flexible.

Bones become more fragile despite appearing perfectly healthy on scans.

Researchers say this invisible damage is what makes the discovery so significant. Bone may be deteriorating in ways doctors simply cannot detect with current tools.

Intriguingly, in other experiments using geneticlaly modified mice, the impact of APOE4 was even greater in bone than in brain tissue.

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