Patient defies genetic fate to avoid Alzheimer’s

Remarkably, Doug Whitney, 75, has escaped genetic destiny. Like many members of his family, Whitney inherited a rare genetic mutation that all but guarantees he would develop early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. But Whitney, whose relatives first showed symptoms of cognitive decline in their early 50s, remains mentally sharp with no signs of the devastating disease, and a new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis helps explain why.