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A new study claims that veterans who do not have Dementia may have high levels of a protein that indicates the presence of inflammation. Also, there are high chances that their relatives may escape the disease as well.

"In very elderly people with good cognition, higher levels of C-reactive protein, which is related to inflammation, are associated with better memory," said study author Jeremy M. Silverman, PhD, with Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, according to Medical Xpress.

"Our results found that the higher the level of this protein in the study participant, the lower the risk for dementia in their parents and siblings."

For the study, 277 male veterans age 75 and older and free of dementia symptoms were identified by the researchers and tested for the measurements of proteins. Also, around 1,329 parents and siblings were quizzed to finds out if they had dementia. It was found that 40 relatives from 37 families had dementia.

Relatives of another group of 51 men aged 85 and older with no dementia symptoms were interviewed and it was found that nine out of 202 relatives of theirs had dementia.

The investigators found that higher amounts of protein in people were inversely proportional to the chances of their relatives having Dementia. Apparently, people with high amounts of proteins were more than 30 percent less likely to have relatives with dementia.

The second group also showed similar results. But since the protein levels were not associated with years of education, marital status, occupation and physical activity, these factors could not account for the lower risks seen, the report said.

"This protein is related to worse cognition in younger elderly people. Thus, for very old people who remain cognitively healthy, those with a high protein level may be more resistant to dementia," said Silverman. "Our study shows that this protection may be passed on to immediate relatives."

The study was published in August 15 online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.