The study revealed that men who carry two copies of the H63D variant are more than twice as likely to develop dementia in their lifetime compared to women with the same genetic profile.
DDNEWS:
Australian researchers have identified a common genetic variant that significantly increases the risk of dementia in men, potentially paving the way for more personalised approaches to prevention and treatment.
The research team from Curtin University found that a variant of the HFE gene, known as H63D, is carried by approximately one in three people in a single copy and by one in 36 in a double-copy form.
Published in the journal Neurology, the study revealed that men who carry two copies of the H63D variant are more than twice as likely to develop dementia in their lifetime compared to women with the same genetic profile.
The study analysed data from 19,114 healthy older adults across Australia and the United States to determine whether mutations in the HFE gene—which regulates iron levels in the body—could influence dementia risk.