Gene variant might guard against Alzheimer’s, other dementia
Same form has been linked to longevity and 'good' cholesterol levels
By Nathan Seppa
Carrying a variant form of the CETP gene is looking more and more like holding a winning genetic lottery ticket.
This version of the gene might protect against Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, researchers report in the Jan. 13 Journal of the American Medical Association. Earlier research linked the variant to impressive longevity and high levels of HDL, the “good” cholesterol.
But before running out to get your genes tested, be aware that the scientists reporting the most recent discovery don’t know for certain how the genetic variant might achieve any of these salutary effects, particularly dementia prevention.
They do know that people harboring the variant form of CETP make less of the CETP protein, and apparently less is better. “What CETP does in the brain is less clear,” says study coauthor Richard Lipton, a neurologist at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in New York City.