Having two copies of a common gene variant linked to iron metabolism increases a man’s risk for dementia more than two-fold, according to Australian research.

Notably, this association occurred in men but not in women, show study results published in the journal Neurology .

The homeostatic iron regulator ( HFE ) gene regulates iron metabolism in the body and mutations in this gene are known to cause hemochromatosis—a genetic condition that leads to excess iron buildup around the body.

Two mutations in HFE known as C282Y and H63D are known to cause differing levels of iron overload in the body and have also been suggested to increase the risk for dementia.

In this study, lead investigator John Olynyk, MD, a professor from Curtin Medical School in Australia, and colleagues assess

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