A new study has found that men who carry a common genetic variant are twice as likely to develop dementia during their lifetime compared to women. The findings were published in the journal Neurology and are based on data from the ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) trial.
The research focused on a gene called HFE, which helps control iron levels in the body. A specific version of this gene, known as H63D, is very common—about one in three people carry one copy of the variant, and one in 36 people carry two copies.
Professor John Olynyk from the Curtin Medical School, one of the study’s authors, said that having just one copy of this gene variant doesn’t seem to affect a person’s health or increase the risk of dementia.
However, men who carry two copies of the H63D variant are more than twice as likely to develop dementia compared to men who do not carry the variant. This increased risk was not seen in women.
While the genetic variant itself cannot be changed, researchers believe that understanding how it damages the brain may lead to new ways to prevent or treat dementia. “We still need to learn more about why this variant affects men differently than women,” said Professor Olynyk.
The HFE gene is already included in routine health checks in many Western countries, including Australia, because it’s linked to a condition called haemochromatosis. This disorder causes the body to absorb too much iron.
However, this study found no direct connection between high iron levels and dementia in men who carry the gene variant. This suggests that other factors, such as inflammation and damage to brain cells, may be involved.
Professor Paul Lacaze from Monash University, another co-author of the study, said the results could help improve care for people at risk of dementia.
“There are more than 400,000 people in Australia living with dementia, and around one-third of them are men. If we can understand why this gene variant raises the risk for men, we may be able to develop more targeted treatments or ways to prevent the disease,” he said.
The study was part of the ASPREE trial, which was a large, well-designed clinical trial involving over 19,000 healthy older adults in Australia and the U.S. Originally aimed at studying the effects of daily low-dose aspirin, the trial has since provided valuable data for many aging-related studies.
Researchers say more studies are needed to explore how this gene variant leads to brain damage and why it affects men more than women. This could lead to new strategies to reduce the risk of dementia and improve health outcomes for older adults.
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The study findings are published in Neurology.
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