Study Identifies Common Gene Variant That Doubles Dementia Risk in Men

New Delhi – Australian researchers have discovered a common genetic variant that doubles the risk of dementia in men.

The team from Curtin University revealed that a gene variant called H63D is carried by about one in three people (with one copy), and about one in 36 people carry two copies of the variant.

Published in the journal Neurology, the study found that men with two copies of the H63D variant have twice the lifetime risk of developing dementia compared to women with the same variant.

The research examined data from 19,114 healthy older adults in Australia and the US to determine whether variants of the HFE gene—which regulates iron levels in the body—could increase dementia risk.

“Having just one copy of this gene variant does not affect health or increase dementia risk. However, having two copies significantly raises the risk in men, but not in women,” explained Professor John Olynyk from Curtin Medical School.

While the variant itself cannot be altered, Professor Olynyk noted that the brain pathways it affects—which lead to dementia—might be treatable with further understanding.

He also called for more research to explore why this gene increases dementia risk in men but not in women.

The HFE gene is commonly tested in Western countries like Australia when screening for hemochromatosis, a disorder where the body absorbs too much iron. The researchers suggest that such testing might be expanded to include more men.

Although the HFE gene regulates iron levels, the study did not find a direct link between iron levels in the blood and dementia risk. Instead, it points to other possible causes, such as inflammation and cell damage in the brain.

These findings may lead to better outcomes for those at risk of dementia and support more personalized approaches to prevention and treatment—particularly for men with two copies of the H63D variant.

With inputs from IANS