Genes and Cardiovascular Health Can Raise or Lower Dementia Risk, Study Finds

A study published in Neurology found that people with a genetic predisposition to dementia can reduce their risk by improving their cardiovascular health, reports News-Medical . Dementia-associated common gene variants or the APOE-4 genotype can elevate dementia risk by more than twofold, but good cardiovascular health can halve that risk. Moreover, genes and cardiovascular health can independently raise or lower the risk. The researchers rated participants on the American Heart Association's seven components of cardiovascular health — physical activity, cholesterol, healthy diet, blood pressure, weight, blood glucose, and smoking status. Those with a favorable cardiovascular health score were 55 percent less likely to develop dementia than those with an unfavorable score. "We have long maintained that genetics is not destiny, that the impact of your family history and genetic risk can be lowered by healthy lifestyle choices," said University of Texas Professor Sudha Seshadri. "This is true for persons with low genetic risk and also for persons with high genetic risk of dementia, so it is never too soon and never too late to adopt a 'heart-healthy lifestyle."