Important Contribution
In a linked editorial, Richard Mayeux, MD, Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, said the importance of this work “cannot be overstated. Knowledge of the timing of these physiological events is critical to provide clinicians with useful starting points for prevention and therapeutic strategies.”
Dr. Mayeux said this “remarkable” longitudinal study spanning 2 decades “not only confirms the hypotheses of previous investigators but extends and validates the sequence of changes” in sporadic Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. Mayeux acknowledged that one might consider the finding in this study to be limited owing to the inclusion of only individuals of Han Chinese ancestry.
However, longitudinal studies of plasma biomarkers in individuals of Asian, European, African, and Hispanic ancestry have shown similar trends in biomarker changes preceding the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, he noted.
“Ethnic variation in these biomarkers is known, but that fact does not lessen the effect of the results reported. It merely highlights that similar studies must continue and must be inclusive of other groups,” Dr. Mayeux concluded.
The study had no commercial funding. Disclosures for authors and editorialist are available at NEJM.org.
A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.