Brain Health

Alzheimer’s Blood Marker Varies Across Racial and Ethnic Groups

A blood marker used to screen for Alzheimer’s disease showed different average levels across racial and ethnic groups in a large study. Researchers analyzed 15,612 adults aged 55 to 80 who underwent screening for a prevention trial program. Asian, Black, and Hispanic participants had lower marker levels than White and non-Hispanic comparison groups. A genetic variant associated with Alzheimer’s risk was linked to higher levels in every group, but the strength of that relationship varied. The marker’s relationships with memory and thinking scores and brain scans showed no significant differences between racial groups, although differences appeared by ethnicity. The findings support further evaluation of blood screening followed by confirmatory scans, not routine testing of adults without symptoms. This snapshot study cannot explain the differences or predict future dementia, and this summary uses only the abstract.