After adjusting for baseline age, sex, education, BMI, ApoE ε4 status, alcohol use, smoking, physical activity score, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, PPI use, depression medication and antibiotic use, and Mediterranean diet score, baseline laxative use continued to be inversely associated with GCS (β = −0.129; 95% CI: −0.227, −0.318, Padj=0.01) (Figure 3). Here, APOE is linked to major depressive disorder.