Study reports on blood-based biomarker predictions for dementia in women
A study published in JAMA Network Open has suggested that detecting a blood-based biomarker could predict the risk of dementia in women up to 25 years before symptoms begin.
The study, conducted by researchers from the University of California San Diego, showed that higher levels of p-tau217 (a protein linked to the brain changes seen in Alzheimer’s disease) in women were strongly associated with future mild cognitive impairment and dementia as those women aged (participants were followed up for 25 years).
Aladdin H. Shadyab, PhD, MPH, first author of the study and UC San Diego Associate Professor of Public Health and Medicine, says:
“Our study suggests we may be able to identify women at elevated risk for dementia decades before symptoms emerge. That kind of long lead time opens the door to earlier prevention strategies and more targeted monitoring, rather than waiting until memory problems are already affecting daily life.”
You can read the study here: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2846152