A variant of a gene involved in cholesterol and lipid production is associated with significantly higher risk of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease in African Americans than in non-Hispanic whites of European ancestry, a recent study found. Although preliminary, the findings suggest that the two racial groups may have different genetic risk profiles for the most common form of Alzheimer’s dementia. The research is published in the April 10, 2013, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
A person’s genes, along with age and environmental factors, are thought to play a role in the development of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, which begins after age 60. Most previous studies of genes and Alzheimer’s disease have involved whites of European ancestry. However, studies on the rates of Alzheimer’s report that African Americans have a higher incidence of the disease than whites.
Click here to continue reading:
