New research has found that men who carry a common genetic variant have twice as probabilities to develop dementia in their lives compared to women.
The investigation, published in NeurologyThey used aspirin data in reducing events in the elderly trial (ASPREE) to investigate whether people who had variants in hemochromatosis (HFE) The gene, which is critical to regulate iron levels in the body, could have a higher risk of dementia.
The co -author, Professor John Olynyk, of the Faculty of Medicine Curtin, said that one in three people has a copy of the variant, known as H63D, while one in 36 carries two copies.
“Having a single copy of this genetic variant does not affect someone’s health or increases their risk of dementia. However, having two copies of the variant that doubled the risk of dementia in men, but not in women,” said Professor Olynyk.
“While the genetic variant itself cannot be changed, the paths of the brain that affect, that lead to the damage that causes dementia, it could be treated if we understand it more.”
Professor Olynyk said that more research was needed to investigate why this genetic variant increased the risk of dementia for men, but not women.
“He HFE Gene is routinely proved in most Western countries, including Australia, when evaluating people for hemochromatosis, a disorder that makes the body absorb too much iron. Our findings suggest that perhaps this test could be offered to men more widely, “said Professor Olynyk.
“While the HFE The gene is critical to control iron levels in the body, we do not find a direct link between blood iron levels and increased risk of dementia in affected men.
“This points to other mechanisms at stake, possibly implying the greatest risk of brain injury due to inflammation and cell damage in the body.”
Professor Paul Lacaze co -author of the University of Monash, said the findings could help improve the results for people at risk of developing dementia.
“More than 400,000 Australians currently live with dementia, and about a third of them are men. Understand why men with the double H63D variant have a higher risk, could pave the way for more personalized approaches for prevention and treatment,” said Professor Lacaze.
“This study is a great example of how the various research groups and Australian universities can effectively collaborate to learn more about these progressive diseases and, ultimately, improve health results for people around the world.”
The ASPREE essay was a double blind, randomized, controlled with low -daily aspirin placebo in 19,114 healthy people in Australia and the United States. Mainly carried out to evaluate the risks versus the benefits of low dose daily aspirin in this cohort, he created a healthy aging data treasure that has supported a large amount of research studies.
The research was a collaboration between the University of Curtin, the University of Monash, the University of Melbourne, the Royal Children’s Hospital, the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the Fiona Stanley Hospital.