Genetic and molecular insights into Alzheimer’s and frontotemporal dementia
New Alzheimer’s genetic score improves risk prediction across ancestry groups (Thebrighterside.News)
Summary: Researchers developed a multiancestry Alzheimer’s polygenic risk score using genetic data from European, African American, Caribbean Hispanic, and East Asian populations, then tested it across several independent and ancestrally diverse groups. The score predicted Alzheimer’s even after removing APOE variants, and higher scores were linked to poorer memory, smaller hippocampal volume, and abnormal amyloid and tau markers. Performance still varied by ancestry, and the score is not ready to diagnose Alzheimer’s on its own, but it could eventually become one part of broader early-risk assessment.
Why it matters: The score could eventually become one part of broader early-risk assessment, and because differences appeared before diagnosis, it may also help researchers identify people at elevated long-term risk for prevention studies or clinical trials.
Commentary: The score’s ability to predict Alzheimer’s beyond APOE, with associations to early biological and cognitive changes, supports its value for long-range risk prediction. However, performance continued to vary by ancestry, and no standardized clinical thresholds exist for interpreting these scores, so clinical use remains distant. The persistent ancestry-based performance gaps underscore the need for more diverse genetic datasets to improve accuracy across populations.
Date: September 03, 2026 07:07 PM ET
URL: https://thebrighterside.news/post/new-alzheimers-genetic-score-improves-risk-prediction-across-ancestry-groups
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