Causes and early signs of Alzheimer's in people in their 60s
Lifecourse Predictors and Mechanisms of Early Clinical ADRD among Black and White Adults in their Sixties
This project looks at how life-long health, heart disease risk, genes, and social factors lead to early Alzheimer's symptoms in Black and White adults in their 60s.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11252313 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be part of long-term CARDIA research that includes a Year 40 cognitive check and brain MRI when participants are about 65. The team will combine decades of midlife measures—especially cardiovascular risk factors—with genetic data and social determinants of health to find patterns linked to early clinical Alzheimer's and related dementias. Clinicians will adjudicate early AD/ADRD using cognitive tests and imaging to identify the transition from midlife to early late-life decline. Researchers will compare pathways by race and sex to identify mechanisms that could point to prevention opportunities.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are Black and White adults in their mid-60s, especially those with long-term midlife health records or enrolled in cohort follow-up like CARDIA.
Not a fit: People under 60, individuals from racial groups not included in the study, or those without midlife cardiovascular risk data may not directly benefit from this specific work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could enable earlier detection of Alzheimer-related decline and highlight heart- and social-factor targets to prevent or delay dementia, particularly for groups at higher risk.
How similar studies have performed: Other long-term cohort studies have linked midlife cardiovascular risks and social determinants to later dementia, but using detailed Year 40 cognitive and MRI data to define early clinical Alzheimer's in this diverse cohort is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yaffe, Kristine — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Yaffe, Kristine
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.