Alzheimer’s and smoking interaction study
A large multi-ancestry genome-wide study co-authored by BU Biomedical Genetics faculty has identified specific genes that may help explain why cigarette smoking is associated with increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
This study was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association (November 2025) and was conducted by BU Biomedical Genetics contributors Dr. Gyungah R. Jun, Dr. Lindsay A. Farrer, Ryan Dacey, Jesse Mez, and colleagues. Using data from 22,032 European and 3,126 African ancestry participants from the Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Consortium (ADGC) and the Framingham Heart Study, the team examined how genetic variants interact with lifetime smoking status to influence AD risk. The study found a significant genome-wide association in the APAF1 and MIXL1/LIN9 genes, present exclusively among smokers and across all ancestry groups, that contributed to a higher Alzheimer’s risk. This means that for some individuals, smoking may interact with specific genes to raise their chances of developing AD, which can help explain why certain people are more vulnerable to AD than just their genetics would predict.
Read the full study in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70922