APOL1 and chronic kidney disease: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an identified risk factor for cerebral vascular disease.59 Multiple common SNPs in the gene that encodes non-muscle myosin heavy-chain type II isoform A (MYH9) have been associated with an increase in the risk of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and end-stage renal disease,60 while more recently the apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) gene has been identified as a risk locus for CKD in African Americans, and replications confirmed in Nigerian Yoruba CKD patients.61,62