A Gene Variant, Stiffer Arteries, and Early Alzheimer's Markers
Saturday, November 7, 2026
A new Rutgers University–Newark report highlights a genetic variant that is unique to people of African descent and how it may sharpen the link between blood-vessel stiffness and an early Alzheimer's-related protein in the blood. The researchers say the finding is also a reason for hope: vascular health is something people can work on.
What the study did. The Aging & Brain Health Alliance at Rutgers-Newark, directed by Mark Gluck, studied 143 adults age 60 or older who were cognitively healthy. Participants gave blood and saliva samples, had blood pressure measured, and underwent MRI that helps estimate how fast blood travels through the arteries—a marker of arterial stiffness. The team looked at a variant of a gene called ABCA7-80, vascular measures, and blood levels of p-tau, an abnormal protein linked to early Alzheimer's disease changes. Results were published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions, and summarized in a Rutgers-Newark news release dated November 6, 2026. (A stable journal DOI was not listed in that release when we checked.)
What they found. For people with the ABCA7-80 variant, stiffer, less flexible blood vessels were linked to higher p-tau. Lead author Miray Budak notes that as vessels stiffen with age, more pressure from each heartbeat can reach the brain's small vessels, which may affect oxygen delivery and the brain's ability to clear waste over time. Gluck's lab studies Alzheimer's risk in African Americans, who are more than twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's as some other groups, according to the release.
What it doesn't mean. This is one research study in cognitively healthy volunteers—not a personal diagnosis, not a home genetic test you should order on your own, and not proof that anyone with stiff arteries will develop dementia. ABCA7-80 status is not something families typically know without research or specialty testing. The authors frame the result as a reason to take vascular health seriously, especially for people who may carry this risk factor—not as a reason to panic after one blood-pressure reading. For plain-language background, see reducing dementia risk, vascular dementia and blood pressure and the brain.
Try this today: ask about blood pressure and a walking plan
If you are concerned about memory or dementia risk in your family, it is reasonable to ask a clinician about blood pressure, vascular risk and a realistic walking routine—the Rutgers team emphasizes everyday movement and Mediterranean-style eating patterns (vegetables, olive oil, seafood, beans; less red meat and sugary baked goods) as controllable habits. That is general information, not medical advice; only a clinician can decide what screening or lifestyle plan fits you. Small steps count: a daily walk beats all-day sitting. For more on lifestyle and brain health, see our exercise and the brain and MIND diet pages.
Thanks for reading, and take good care of yourself today.
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