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Blood Test Using p‑Tau217 Predicts Dementia Risk in Women Up to 25 Years Before Symptoms

Researchers urge validation before any routine screening of asymptomatic people.

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Photo: David Silverman (Getty Images)
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Conceptual illustration of protein folding vs misfolding (healthy vs Alzheimer’s protein structures)

Overview

  • UC San Diego researchers studied 2,766 cognitively unimpaired women aged 65–79 from the WHIMS cohort, with follow‑up extending as long as 25 years.
  • Higher baseline plasma p‑tau217 was strongly associated with later mild cognitive impairment or dementia, with risk increasing as biomarker levels rose.
  • Predictive strength varied by subgroup, showing stronger associations in women over 70, APOE ε4 carriers, and those assigned estrogen plus progestin, with differences also observed by race.
  • The team says p‑tau217 could help target prevention trials and monitoring strategies, but current guidance does not support blood‑based screening in people without symptoms.
  • The findings, published March 10 in JAMA Network Open, apply to older women and require replication in men and broader populations despite growing diagnostic use of p‑tau217.