Mayo Clinic MCI Study of MCI Rates (3)

A new Mayo Clinic study found that the number of new cases of mild cognitive impairment is approximately 5 percent per year. This is higher than the anticipated 1 or 2 percent incidence rate and highlights the urgency for developing new and better therapies for Alzheimer's disease.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a transitional state between normal aging and the earliest features of Alzheimer's disease.

"If we extrapolate these findings to the baby boomers, who are aging into the period of risk, we're talking about a significant number of individuals who may become cognitively impaired in the very near future," says Ronald Petersen, M.D., Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic neurologist and director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. "Consequently, if we don't find a cure or treatment to delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease, we're going to be overwhelmed by the burden of these individuals on the health care system."
Dr. Petersen discusses what Mayo Clinic is doing to address these concerns.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Mayo
• Clinic
• Mild
• Congitive
• Impairment
• MCI
• Petersen
• Dementia
• Study