A simple blood test could reveal Alzheimer’s risk 10 years before symptoms
Scientists believe the discovery could pave the way for earlier intervention and future treatments designed to prevent Alzheimer’s before memory problems begin.
Scientists believe the discovery could pave the way for earlier intervention and future treatments designed to prevent Alzheimer’s before memory problems begin.
The short version
- A simple blood test could help identify people at increased risk of Alzheimer's-related cognitive decline years before they experience any noticeable problems with memory or thinking.
- In a large international study, researchers found that older adults with very high levels of a particular blood biomarker faced a 38% chance of developing cognitive impairment within five years.
- Over 10 years, the estimated risk rose to 78%, although the longer-term findings were based on substantially less data.
What happened
The findings offer new insight into the potential of blood tests to predict future cognitive problems in people who currently show no signs of impairment. The research was led by scientists at the Mass General Brigham Neuroscience Institute and involved teams working across three continents.
Why it matters
The results were presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference and simultaneously published in JAMA .
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