A resistance to dementia may be a family legacy, according to
new research. “In very elderly people with good cognition,
higher levels of C-reactive protein, which is related to
inflammation, are associated with better memory,” said study
author Jeremy M. Silverman, Ph.D., with Mount Sinai School of
Medicine in New York. “Our results found that the higher the
level of this protein in the study participant, the lower the
risk for dementia in their parents and siblings.” For the study,
researchers identified 277 male veterans age 75 and older who
were free of dementia symptoms. They were given a test that
measured levels of the C-reactive protein. The participants were
then interviewed about their parents and siblings and whether
they had dementia. A total of 40 relatives from 37 families had
dementia. A second, independent group of 51 men age 85 and older
with no dementia symptoms also were interviewed, revealing that
nine relatives had dementia. The researchers found that
participants who had higher amounts o