Resistance to Dementia May Be Hereditary, Linked to Levels of C-reactive Protein

People who are dementia-free and have high levels of a protein that indicate the presence of inflammation have relatives who are more likely to avoid the disease, too, reports a new study that appears in the Aug. 15, 2012, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

“In very elderly people with good cognition, higher levels of C-reactive protein, which is related to inflammation, are associated with better memory,” says study author Jeremy M. Silverman, PhD, of the 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 more information, click here to read the full release.