09/26/2025
5 surprisingly hopeful things we learned about Alzheimerās this year
From a blood test to the unexpected role of lithium, these findings may lead to better diagnosis and treatment of the memory-robbing condition.
About half of dementia cases may be preventable by addressing known risk factors, according to a 2024 Lancet Commission report.
1. An Alzheimerās blood test
In May, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first blood test to detect signals of amyloid beta plaques and tau tangles ā the biological hallmarks of Alzheimerās disease ā with over 90 percent accuracy. The blood test measures two key biomarkers of Alzheimerās disease. One is amyloid beta, a protein that can misfold and create sticky plaques in the brain.
2. Lifestyle interventions can lead to better cognition
In July, the largest lifestyle intervention clinical trial in the United States found that simultaneously targeting multiple areas ā nutrition, exercise, cognitive training, health monitoring ā improved cognitive measures of participants who were at risk of dementia. Participants in the more structured group improved more than those who were self-guided.
3. Increasing focus on inflammation
While amyloid beta continues to be a target of dementia research, scientists are increasingly investigating the role played by inflammation in increasing dementia risk.
Inflammation and immune dysfunction cuts across many different neurodegenerative disorders, including dementia and Parkinsonās.
4. Vaccines may reduce dementia risk
One way we could modify immune system activity linked to reduced dementia risk? Vaccines.
There are two broad biological hypotheses for why vaccines are linked to reduced dementia risk. First, vaccines could reduce the risk of infections, which have been linked to increased dementia risk. Second, the vaccine itself may activate the immune system in a beneficial way.
5. A newly discovered link to lithium
In August, a study published in Nature reported that the metal lithium may play a protective role in Alzheimerās.
In a healthy brain, lithium helps to maintain the proper functioning of neurons. Lithium carbonate is also used to treat bipolar disorder.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01296-0/abstract
