FSU psychology professor Natalie Sachs-Ericsson said the gene APOE epsilon 4 allele is a risk factor for blacks and whites, the university said in a news release. Researchers had previously thought the gene was only a risk to Caucasians

"The APOE test might be used as one tool in identifying people who are at risk for Alzheimer's," Sachs-Ericsson said. "We now know that African- Americans and Caucasians alike need to be considered for such risk assessments."

The study was published online in the journal Gerontology.