Aging or Alzheimer's? Knowing your risk can help you act on it

In South Florida, advances in testing are making Alzheimer’s risk assessment less invasive and more accessible, according to experts. The article says earlier approaches often involved spinal taps, costly PET scans, or limited genetic testing. Now, blood tests and biomarker screening can detect proteins linked to Alzheimer’s—such as tau and beta-amyloid—before obvious symptoms appear. It also notes that these biomarkers can be elevated 15 to 20 years prior to symptoms, though presence does not guarantee disease. Genetic risk profiling is described as another option, focusing on APOE4, where one copy increases risk roughly 2 to 4 times and two copies about 8 to 12 times. Additional dementia risk factors listed include hearing loss, diabetes, liver disease, smoking, and heavy alcohol use.