A genetic variation known as CETP previously linked to longevity may also protect against the development of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia, according to findings by the Einstein Aging Study, an ongoing examination of a diverse group of people age 70 and older living in the Bronx.

The new research found that those with two copies of the protective variant had a 70 percent lower chance of developing Alzheimer’s and other dementias, as well as a significantly lower rate of memory decline.

People with the protective variant produce a less active version of CETP protein, which in turn raises levels of HDL, or good cholesterol.

About 5 percent of 60-year-olds have the protective CETP variant, and approximately 25 percent of centenarians–those age 100 or older.