Recent U.S. studies have shown an increased Alzheimer’s disease risk in healthy people having brain plaques.
The formation of amyloid brain plaques have long been associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers have speculated that the formation of such brain plaques was associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. However, this theory was challenged by the existence of brain plaques in people with no signs of mental impairment or Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have shown that the existence of brain plaques is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease later in life. In the study, researchers examined the scores on annual cognitive tests in people with brain plaques.
People with brain plaques were more likely to have declining scores and show signs of shrinkage in the brain that has been generally attributed to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
In establishing a link between the development of brain plaques with Alzheimer’s disease will hopefully lead to new Alzheimer’s treatments and early diagnosis. Findings from these studies will also help form the basis for determining if healthy people at risk of Alzheimer’s disease will receive treatments to prevent dementia.
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