SYDNEY, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Men who carry two copies of a common gene variant are more than twice as likely to develop dementia, while women with the same variant appear unaffected, a new Australian study has revealed.
A press release from Curtin University in Western Australia said on Friday that the findings underscore the need for more targeted dementia prevention strategies, particularly for men.
Understanding why the double H63D variant increases dementia risk in males, but not females, could pave the way for more personalized and effective approaches to treatment and early intervention, the release said.
The research analyzed data from over 19,000 participants in the ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) trial, a major international study on healthy ageing, it said, adding that researchers focused on variants of the haemochromatosis (HFE) gene, which helps regulate iron levels in the body.
While one in three people carry a single copy of the H63D variant with no health impact, one in 36 carries two copies. Among men, this double variant significantly increased dementia risk. No such link was observed in women, said the study published in Neurology.
"Having just one copy of this gene variant does not impact someone's health or increase their risk of dementia. However, having two copies of the variant more than doubled the risk of dementia in men, but not women," said co-author Prof. John Olynyk from Curtin University.
"While the genetic variant itself can not be changed, the brain pathways which it affects, leading to the damage that causes dementia, could potentially be treated if we understood more about it," Olynyk said.
Over 400,000 Australians currently live with dementia, a third of whom are men, according to the study.
The study was a collaboration between Curtin University, Monash University, the University of Melbourne, and other major Australian institutions. Enditem
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