About The Study: A study in JAMA presented Wednesday, July 15, at the annual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference reports that a blood test measuring phosphorylated tau 217 (P‑tau217) in plasma can help estimate an individual’s risk of developing cognitive impairment over the following 2, 5, and 10 years.

Across six cohorts, higher p-tau217 levels were consistently associated with increased risk of progression to cognitive impairment in cognitively unimpaired older adults, and the association remained significant after adjustment for amyloid PET.

The findings support P‑tau217 as a marker linked to amyloid and tau-related disease processes. If ongoing secondary prevention trials demonstrate that early intervention can delay or prevent cognitive decline, blood‑based biomarkers like P‑tau217 could help identify individuals most likely to benefit, authors note.

However, current Alzheimer’s Association clinical practice guidelines recommend against testing cognitively unimpaired older adults outside research studies or clinical trials.

Authors emphasize that the risk estimates are based on selected research cohorts, with greater confidence in 5‑year than 10‑year projections, and that current models do not fully account for vascular comorbidities or competing risk of death; additionally, P-tau217 may not fully reflect non-Alzheimer contributors to cognitive impairment, such as vascular or other neurodegenerative processes.

Schoolchildren in Hong Kong face intense academic demands, with long hours of sedentary study leaving little time for movement. On average, their physical activity falls short of the World Health Organization’s recommendation of at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day.  

A research team at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) has addressed this challenge by designing exercise videos and coaching materials in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tracking 119 primary school students and their guardians over two years, the study examined how different forms of guidance and interaction influence children’s motivation to exercise. 

Findings revealed that home-based exercise videos boosted MVPA in the short term (by around 6–7 minutes), while parent support strategies grounded in Self-Determination Theory—such as offering choices, giving positive feedback, and encouraging parent-child interaction—helped sustain motivation and meet psychological needs.  

Why does the immune system become less effective as we age? A new USC study published in BMC Biology offers fresh insights by examining a key immune cell type across tissues: macrophages.

Macrophages act as the body’s cleanup and maintenance crew. Found in nearly every tissue, they help fight infections, remove damaged cells, repair tissues, and keep inflammation under control – acting as a first line of defense for the immune system. But like many cells in the body, macrophages change as we get older.

In this new study, researchers analyzed data from macrophages collected from different mouse tissues, including the brain, lungs, liver, and other organs. By comparing younger and older animals, they uncovered common patterns of aging shared across many macrophage populations, as well as important differences depending on where the cells come from.