Researchers Develop Improved Measure of Genetic Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease
August 27, 2026
Boston University researchers, including Framingham Heart Study Brain Aging Program investigator Lindsay A. Farrer, PhD, have developed and validated a new multi-ancestry polygenic risk score (PRS) for Alzheimer’s disease that improves risk prediction across diverse ancestral populations.
The study, published in Nature Genetics, used genetic data from diverse populations to create a more broadly applicable measure of genetic susceptibility to Alzheimer’s disease. The new PRS was more predictive of an Alzheimer’s diagnosis than previous scores developed using primarily individuals of European ancestry.
Researchers also examined the relationship between the new PRS and Alzheimer’s-related clinical, cognitive, imaging, biomarker, and neuropathological measures using data from several studies, including the Framingham Heart Study. Higher genetic risk was associated with poorer cognitive performance, reduced hippocampal volume, Alzheimer’s-related biomarkers, and steeper cognitive decline among individuals with very high risk scores.
The findings demonstrate the importance of including diverse populations in genetic research and may help improve long-term Alzheimer’s disease risk prediction, clinical trial recruitment, and future personalized prevention strategies.
Read the full story from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine