Prevention of Alzheimer disease: A perspective based on successes in the prevention of other chronic diseases

Alzheimer disease, like other common chronic diseases, likely has genetic and environmental risk factors. Prevention of arteriosclerotic vascular disease has occurred based on efforts to reduce risk factors demonstrated in epidemiologic and more basic science research. At present, there are no known risk factors for Alzheimer disease which could form the basis of a preventive strategy. To make progress in the prevention of Alzheimer disease, new findings from epidemiology and basic science will be needed. The current state of the art of epidemiologic studies of dementia is well enough developed to test credible hypotheses. The availability of reliable biomarkers along with cooperative efforts between molecular biologists and clinical epidemiologists should allow us to pursue promising fields in clinical research.