Alzheimer's and Cardiovascular Disease Share Common Genetics in Some Individuals

A new study published in Acta Neuropathologica suggests genetics may predispose some people to both Alzheimer's and high levels of blood lipids such as cholesterol, reports ScienceDaily . The researchers analyzed genome-wide data from more than 1.5 million individuals, identifying genetic variants that confer risk of both cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's. The authors employed statistical methods that allowed them to integrate five multiple large-scale genome-wide association studies to analyze the combined impact of such genetic markers on both cardiovascular disease risk and Alzheimer's risk. They identified 90 spots in the genome where specific DNA variants heightened subjects' combined chance of developing both Alzheimer's and heightened blood levels of lipid molecules, including HDL and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Six of these 90 regions were confirmed to have very strong "genome-wide significant" effects on Alzheimer's and increased blood lipid levels, including several within genes that had never before been associated with dementia risk. These included regions within the CELF1/MTCH2/SPI1 region on chromosome 11, which had previously been linked to immune system biology. However, although subjects diagnosed with Alzheimer's also often display other cardiovascular risk factors, such as unhealthy levels of belly fat and type 2 diabetes, the researchers saw no clear overlapping genetics between Alzheimer's and these risk factors.