Protection against senile marasmus is in the genes

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

How do centenarians manage to maintain a clear mind and a solid memory? It's all about genes. The brains of older people with the so-called longevity gene are twice as likely to function well in old age than those without this genetic variation.

A genetic variation that helps people stay viable in old age also has a positive effect on memory and intellectual ability. These are the conclusions of researchers who have studied the genomes and features of cholesterol metabolism in 158 Israeli centenarians.

According to a study involving 124 Ashkenazi community members aged 75 to 85, individuals with this gene variant are five times less likely to have Alzheimer's disease and other forms of senile dementia.

Eastern European Ashkenazi Jews are a convenient target for genetic research, as their centuries-old isolation in the ghettos and a large number of consanguineous marriages have contributed to a decrease in the number of genetic variations.

According to lead author of the study, Dr. Nira Barzilai, the link between the gene for centenarians and a reduced risk of senile dementia is a very encouraging finding. "It's not a very tempting prospect to live to be 100 years old without maintaining normal brain function," he notes. Scientists do not exclude the appearance in the future of drugs that can reproduce the beneficial effects of CEPT VV in people who do not have this gene. The CETP gene plays an important role in the metabolism of cholesterol in the body. According to scientists, the CETP VV variant promotes the enlargement of cholesterol particles circulating in the blood. As a result, the rate of formation of cholesterol deposits on the walls of blood vessels decreases, which reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases, strokes and some forms of senile dementia.

Researchers are now working to create a drug that mimics the effect of this genetic variation.