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Aging News & Information
Longevity Gene Also Protects Memory, Cognitive
Function
Those with gene variant twice as likely to
have good brain function
December 26, 2006 - A gene variation that helps
people live into their 90s and beyond also protects their memories and
ability to think and learn new information, according to a study
published in the December 26, 2006, issue of Neurology, the scientific
journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
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The gene variant alters the cholesterol particles
in the blood, making them bigger than normal. Researchers believe that
smaller particles can more easily lodge themselves in blood vessel
linings, leading to the fatty buildup that can cause heart attacks and
strokes.
The study examined 158 people of Ashkenazi, or
Eastern European, Jewish descent, who were 95 years old or older. Those
who had the gene variant were twice as likely to have good brain
function compared to those who did not have the gene variant. The
researchers also validated these findings in a group of 124 Ashkenazi
Jews who were between age 75 and 85 and found similar results.
Its possible that this gene variant also protects
against the development of Alzheimers disease, said study author Nir
Barzilai, MD, the director of the Institute for Aging Research at Albert
Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY.
Barzilai noted that many studies have identified
risk factors associated with developing age-related diseases. But
little effort has been made to identify the reasons for longevity in
exceptionally old people, and why they dont develop disease. In
studying these centenarians, we hope to learn what factors lessen their
risk for diseases that affect the general population at a much younger
age. Our results bring us a step closer to understanding the role that
genes play in longevity.
Work is being done to develop drugs that can mimic
the effect of this gene variation, Barzilai said.
Approximately one in 10,000 people in the general
population lives to the age of 100.
The study was supported by grants from the Einstein
Aging Study, the Paul Beeson Physician Faculty Scholar in Aging Award,
the Ellison Medical Foundation Senior Scholar Award, the National
Institutes of Health, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and the
Baltimore VA Geriatric Research and Education Clinical Center.
The American Academy of Neurology, an association
of more than 20,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is
dedicated to improving patient care through education and research. A
neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing,
treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as
stroke, Alzheimers disease, epilepsy, Parkinson disease, and multiple
sclerosis.
For more information about the American Academy of
Neurology, visit
http://www.aan.com.
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