Trending Now - New Blood Test Can Predict Dementia Risk 25 Years Early

WHO:

Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst

Aladdin H. Shadyab, PhD, UC San Diego associate professor of public health and medicine

Linda K. McEvoy, PhD, senior investigator at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute and professor emeritus at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health

Participants in the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study

WHAT:

A new blood test can determine a woman’s dementia risk as early as 25 years before symptoms emerge.

The study analyzed blood samples from 2,766 participants.

The biomarker phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217) was found to be "strongly associated" with future mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

Women with higher levels of p-tau217 were "much more likely" to develop dementia.

The findings were published in JAMA Network Open on March 10th, 2026.

The study tracked participants for up to 25 years.

Women over 70 with higher p-tau217 levels had "poorer cognitive outcomes."

p-tau217 was a stronger predictor of dementia in women receiving estrogen and progestin hormone therapy compared to those on placebo.

WHERE:

University of California San Diego

Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute

WHEN:

The Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study began in the late 1990s.

The study's findings were published on March 10th, 2026.

WHY:

The study aims to identify individuals at greater risk for dementia to develop strategies for delaying or preventing the disease.

HOW:

Researchers analyzed blood plasma levels of p-tau217 in a large sample of older women.

The study involved tracking the long-term health of women aged 65 to 79.

(UPDATED March 10, 2026 19:23 UTC)

A groundbreaking study published today in JAMA Network Open reveals that a new blood test can predict a woman's risk of developing dementia up to 25 years before symptoms appear. Researchers from UC San Diego and Kaiser Permanente analyzed blood samples from nearly 2,800 participants, finding that higher levels of the biomarker p-tau217 were strongly associated with future cognitive decline, particularly in women over 70. The findings aim to help identify individuals at greater risk for dementia, paving the way for strategies to delay or prevent the disease.