Lon White, M.D., M.P.H.
Pacific Health Research Institute
Honolulu, Hawaii

2003 Investigator-Initiated Research Grant

The Honolulu-Asia Aging Study is a long-term epidemiological investigation of how vascular factors might increase risk of dementia, contribute to neurodegeneration, or lead to coexisting illnesses that increase the severity of dementia. The study grew out of the Honolulu Heart Program, an exploration of the epidemiology of cardiovascular disease in Japanese-American men living in Hawaii. Recent findings in the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study have shed light on the complex interrelationships among genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors, vascular diseases, and dementia.

This project will extend the ongoing work of the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study into an exploration of how variations in genes that code the “blueprints” for cytokines, proteins released by cells that help regulate inflammation and other aspects of the immune response, may be associated with greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Many experts believe that inflammation plays a key role in Alzheimer pathology, and certain variations in cytokine genes may increase an individual’s tendency to develop inflammation and, as a result, Alzheimer’s disease. This project also aims to correlate certain cardiovascular risk factors with cytokine gene variations. Insights gained in this study may provide preliminary evidence that some cytokine gene variations are risk genes for Alzheimer’s disease.