Estimate Risk for AD Dementia based on

Computes 5-year risk of developing early symptoms of AD dementia based on imaging biomarkers (amyloid PET positivity and MRI hippocampal volume) and demographic factors associated with AD (age, gender, family history, and education).

These estimates are for research or education purposes only. More research is needed before they can be used for clinical practice. .

Demographic Risk Factors:





Imaging Biomarker Factors:



Estimated risk will be computed and displayed here after you answer the questions
* Estimates are based only individuals who have undergone imaging.

Factors used

Age

The greatest risk factor for AD dementia is being older. The older you are, the higher the chance you may develop AD dementia. About 1 in 3 (33%) older adults has AD dementia by the age of 85.back to questions

Gender

Women are more likely than men to get AD dementia. About 2 in 3 (or 66%) Americans with AD dementia are women. This difference is partly because women live longer than men, and older age is the greatest risk factor for developing AD dementia.back to questions

Family History

Your risk of AD dementia is higher if family members have had it, especially a parent, sister, or brother. However, even if your parent had AD dementia, this does not mean that you will develop AD dementia.back to questions

Education

In the United States, access to healthcare, housing, food, education and employment impacts people’s health. Not having equal access to these necessities increases the risk of getting many diseases, including AD dementia. Social determinants of health (SDOH) play a role in explaining health differences between groups of people. Education is the most studied SDOH in AD research studies, so we include it in the risk estimate.back to questions

Amyloid PET Scan

This brain scan measures the amount of amyloid in a person’s brain. Amyloid is a protein that is higher in the brains of people with AD dementia. Elevated amyloid PET is associated with increased risk for AD dementia.back to questions

MRI hippocampal volume

One of the things MRI can measure is the size of part of the brain called the hippocampus. The hippocampus plays a major role in memory. The hippocampus gets smaller as people age, but it is often substantially smaller in people with AD dementia. A smaller hippocampal volume is associated with an increased risk for AD dementia.back to questions

Combination of Imaging Biomarkers

The brain changes leading to AD dementia happen in stages. Increase in amyloid usually happens before the hippocampus gets smaller. The biggest increase in risk happens when both amyloid is elevated and hippocampal volume is small. Similarly the biggest decrease in risk happens when amyloid is not elevated and hippocampal volume is not small. Having either elevated amyloid or small hippocampal volume may not lead to a large change in risk relative to baseline. back to questions