2 Parents With Alzheimer's, Higher Risk of This?
Small study found these people had more beta-amyloid deposits, less gray matter
For now, there is no real-world use for the findings.
"You definitely aren't going to run out and have these [indicators] measured," Kanner said.
Even if the indicators do turn out to predict an increased Alzheimer's risk, there is currently nothing doctors can do about it.
If researchers can develop drugs that help prevent the disease, Mosconi said, one can imagine a future in which people with a strong family history of Alzheimer's undergo a brain scan to look for early markers for the disease.
The ideal scenario, she said, would be to give preventive treatments to people at high risk of Alzheimer's who are not yet showing symptoms.
Silverman said researchers are looking for various ways to intervene early. So far, he said, "intervention efforts with [patients] who are already showing clinical signs of Alzheimer's have largely not been successful in meaningfully treating the illness."
For now, Mosconi said, people with a strong family history of Alzheimer's can focus on the lifestyle measures recommended for everyone -- such as a healthy diet and regular exercise.
Studies have linked the same factors that can damage the heart -- such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes -- to an increased risk of Alzheimer's.
Those studies, and the latest research, don't prove cause-and-effect. But, Mosconi said, there are already plenty of other reasons to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
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