DEMENTIA - NOT JUST A SEARCH FOR THE GENE

We extend the reasoning commonly applied to the understanding of chron ic diseases and their prevention to Alzheimer's disease and other deme nting disorders. The highly visible progress in finding genetic bases of Alzheimer's disease may leave a large proportion of cases unexplain ed. Rather, both genetic susceptibility and environmental factors are demonstrably important for disease expression. Thus, the research and health policy implication would be to target resources toward identify ing and modifying environmental risk factors that might delay or preve nt dementia.