From Margaret Kettlewell
The hypothesis that there could be a connection between certain lineages of mitochondrial DNA and susceptibility to Alzheimer’s disease should be easy to put to the test (17 January, p 12).
If the increased ability of some mitochondria to generate heat makes Alzheimer’s less likely to appear, family studies should show some degree of inheritance of the disease through the female line. Moreover, people exhibit a vast range of different reactions to the cold, as is shown by the battles in homes and workplaces over open windows. One could ask the relatives of people suffering from Alzheimer’s how well those people have coped with the cold: the hypothesis would suggest that you would find an excess of individuals who are not well-adapted to the cold among patients with the disease.
Bournemouth, Dorset, UK
