US EditionUCLA Health Researchers Discover Four Pathways Leading to Alzheimer’s Disease
UNITED STATES, JUL 7 – UCLA researchers analyzed nearly 25,000 patients and identified four progression pathways that may improve early risk detection and personalized prevention of Alzheimer's disease.
- In July 2025, researchers at UCLA Health uncovered four unique progression routes to Alzheimer's disease by examining the electronic medical records of almost 25,000 individuals.
- The study aimed to move beyond isolated risk factors, using advanced computational methods to map sequential diagnostic patterns indicating disease progression.
- Researchers analyzed 5,762 patients contributing 6,794 unique trajectories and identified four major clusters: mental health, encephalopathy, mild cognitive impairment, and vascular disease pathways.
- Mingzhou Fu explained that sequences of multiple diagnoses can reveal higher chances of developing Alzheimer's disease compared to considering individual conditions alone, highlighting a potential shift in strategies for early diagnosis and prevention.
- The findings suggest clinicians might improve Alzheimer's diagnosis and tailor interventions by recognizing sequential patterns, with validation in diverse populations supporting risk stratification advances.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Alzheimer’s doesn’t strike at random: These 4 early-warning patterns tell the story
UCLA scientists mined millions of electronic health records and uncovered four distinct “roadways” that funnel people toward Alzheimer’s—ranging from mental-health struggles to vascular troubles. Following these breadcrumb trails proved far better at predicting who will develop dementia than single risk factors. The findings hint that spotting—and halting—specific sequences early could rewrite how we prevent the disease.
UCLA Health researchers discover four pathways leading to Alzheimer’s disease
UCLA Health researchers have identified four distinct pathways that lead to Alzheimer's disease by analyzing electronic health records, offering new insights into how the condition develops over time rather than from isolated risk factors.
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