Genetic Susceptibility Variants of Vascular Dementia among Asians: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

INTRODUCTION Vascular dementia (VaD), a neurocognitive impairment directly related to vascular injury, is the second most common cause of age-related dementia. Although numerous studies have investigated candidate genetic polymorphisms associated with VaD in Asia, the genetics of VaD remains unclear. METHODS This review provides an updated meta-analysis of genetic polymorphisms associated with VaD in Asians, using the PRISMA guidelines. Published literature up to May 2021 was extracted from the PubMed, Scopus, Ovid, and EBSCO host databases. Meta-analysis was conducted using the Open Meta analyst, Review Manager, and MedCalc® Statistical Software. Trial sequential analysis (TSA) was performed using TSA viewer software. RESULTS A total of 46 eligible studies, comprising 23 genes and 35 SNPs, were retrieved. The meta-analysis was conducted on the following genetic polymorphisms, APOE ε2/3/4, MTHFR rs1801131, ACE rs4340 (I/D) gene polymorphism, and a PSEN1 intron 8 variant. The pooled ORs revealed a significant increase in the risk of VaD in the Apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allelic model: OR, 1.79, p<0.001), and the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) rs1801133 polymorphism T allele in the allelic model (OR, 1.23, p=0.013). CONCLUSION Our findings provide evidence that genetic polymorphisms of the APOE ε4 allele and MTHFR rs1801133 T allele increase the risk of developing VaD in Asians. However, future large-scale investigations examining particularly on South-Eastern and West-Asian populations are highly recommended.