Our program includes three pillars of operations - the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic (APC), the Women’s Brain Initiative (WBI) and prevention clinical trials.
Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic
In July 2013, Weill Cornell Medical College founded the first Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic in the United States to reduce risk for cognitive decline related to Alzheimer’s using an individualized multimodal treatment approach. At the clinic, individuals at risk for AD, chiefly those with a family history of the disease, receive a personalized preventive plan based on their risk factors, genetics, lifestyle and past/present medical conditions.
A team of specialists uses a precision medicine approach to provide personalized therapies for patients. Experts consider various factors, such as genetics, nutrition and overall health, to create customized plans that can help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and slow the progression of dementia symptoms. These recommendations relate to lifestyle, diet, physical activity, vitamins, supplements, medication management, stress reduction and cognitive engagement.
At the clinic, the team also regularly tracks health measurements over time to monitor progress. These measurements include body fat percentage and waist circumference, cognition, as well as analysis of blood markers such as cholesterol levels, and genetic markers including APOE4 and MTHFR. Providers also use surveys to assess patients’ knowledge of Alzheimer’s, their willingness to make behavioral changes, their adherence to treatment plans and their risk scores for Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease.
If you’re interested in learning more or being assessed by our team, please contact apc@med.cornell.edu.
Women's Brain Initiative
Of every three AD patients, two are women, even after accounting for their greater longevity relative to men. The onset of menopause further increases risk, with postmenopausal women accounting for over 60% of those affected. Despite the well-established vulnerability of women to AD, there is a striking absence of knowledge on how and why AD and other memory disorders affect women more than men, and how to intervene to reduce the risk.
The mission of the Women’s Brain Initiative (WBI) is to discover sex-based molecular targets and precision therapies to prevent, delay and minimize risk of AD and other related dementias.
Brain imaging studies at Weill Cornell Medicine implicate the menopause transition as an early risk factor for Alzheimer’s in women. While menopause is typically associated with changes in reproductive health, it is the disruption of brain estrogen-regulated systems that produces neurological symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, disturbed sleep, depression and memory decline. Overall, these findings suggest the decline in brain estrogen levels may be a significant factor in increasing the risk of Alzheimer’s in women. As women approach midlife, it becomes critical to not only detect signs of early Alzheimer’s, but also manage estrogen levels to reduce or prevent the risk of developing the disease.
Research and Clinical Trials
Research teams at Weill Cornell Medicine are devoted to unraveling the causes of the increased risk in women. As a starting point, our brain imaging studies have demonstrated a link between estrogen declines and increased Alzheimer's risk in women. Our current NIH-sponsored brain imaging research builds upon those findings to further address the connections between female sex hormones, brain aging and Alzheimer's risk. We are currently enrolling women and men 30–70 years of age, with a family history of Alzheimer's, and no cognitive impairment or dementia. Contact wbi-research@med.cornell.edu for more information.
For women who are experiencing menopausal symptoms, we are actively enrolling for a new clinical trial: PhytoSERM to Prevent Menopause Associated Decline in Brain Metabolism and Cognition. NIH Sponsored: NCT05664477. This research is on a dietary supplement—a nutritional supplement that is not a drug—that consists of three phytoestrogens, which are naturally occurring compounds in plants resembling the estrogen hormone in people and animals. If you are between the ages of 45 and 60 and would like to learn more about this clinical trial, contact us at wbi-clinicaltrials@med.cornell.edu.