It remains unclear whether the lipid-accumulating glial state originally described by A. Alzheimer in human AD brain tissue is influenced by lipid AD risk variants (for example, APOE), if lipid-accumulating glia reported in AD are similar to recently identified LDAM and if lipid-accumulating glia play a benign, protective or damaging role in AD pathogenesis. This evidence concerns the gene APOE and Alzheimer disease.