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Lowering your risk of dementia doesn’t have to involve a blood test
The Boston Globe • • health
Key Points:
- The FDA has approved four blood tests to diagnose Alzheimer's in symptomatic individuals, but experts caution against using these tests in people without symptoms due to limited reliability and lack of recommendation.
- Blood tests measuring tau protein p-tau217 show promise in reflecting amyloid buildup and predicting Alzheimer's risk, but a positive result indicates risk, not certainty, and false positives can occur.
- Research shows that managing cardiovascular risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking in middle age can significantly delay the onset of dementia, potentially extending dementia-free years by nearly 13 years.
- Healthy lifestyle habits—including regular exercise, a brain-healthy diet, adequate sleep, social engagement, and hearing loss treatment—are strongly advised to reduce Alzheimer's risk, especially starting in middle age.
- Ongoing clinical trials may soon clarify whether current Alzheimer's drugs can prevent symptoms in high-risk individuals, which could influence future recommendations on blood testing for asymptomatic people.
