Mayo Clinic scientists have developed a new method to predict Alzheimer’s disease risk years before symptoms appear, using a combination of brain scans and genetic analysis. This innovative tool estimates a person’s risk of developing memory and thinking problems up to a decade in advance, marking a significant advancement in the early detection and potential prevention of Alzheimer’s.
The research, published in The Lancet Neurology, is based on decades of data from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, a long-running study tracking thousands of individuals over time. Led by Dr. Clifford Jack Jr., the team analyzed brain scans, genetic information, and medical records from over 5,800 adults to build a predictive model that assesses both a person’s 10-year and lifetime risk of cognitive decline.
By measuring the buildup of two crucial proteins—amyloid and tau—the researchers were able to gauge the