EurekAlert! In the Spotlight - Alzheimer's Awareness Month

Welcome to In the Spotlight, where each month we shine a light on something exciting, timely, or simply fascinating from the world of science.

In honor of Alzheimer's Awareness Month, we’re exploring the science and stories surrounding Alzheimer’s disease.

Latest News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 22-Jun-2026 15:15 ET (22-Jun-2026 19:15 GMT/UTC)

8-May-2026

New study finds higher dementia risk in insulin-requiring diabetes

European Society of Endocrinology
Reports and Proceedings

Dementia Risk in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes: A Nationwide Population-Based Comparison With the General Population

Meeting: European Congress of Endocrinology (ECE) 2026

8-May-2026

Cardiovascular and metabolic diseases are primary drivers of excess US deaths compared to other high-income countries

Boston University School of Public Health
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study in JAMA Network Open found that between 1999-2022, the annual number of excess US deaths—deaths that would not have occurred had the mortality rate in the US been the same as in other HICs—increased steadily through 2019 and then rose rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic. By 2022, all-cause mortality rates in the US were 38 percent higher than in other HICs. An estimated 12.7 million US deaths could have been averted during this period if US mortality rates mirrored those of its peers. The authors refer to these excess US deaths as “missing Americans.”

Journal: JAMA Network Open
Funder: W.K. Kellogg Foundation

6-May-2026

At-home blood test and brain testing could screen people for dementia risk

University of Exeter
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A finger prick blood test combined with online brain testing - all done from home - could one day effectively identify people’s risk of developing dementia, according to a new study.

Journal: Nature Communications

6-May-2026

Researchers discovered new therapeutic targets for lithium in Alzheimer’s disease

University of Eastern Finland
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Lithium chloride may affect many cellular level changes in Alzheimer’s disease, a new study from the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) shows.

Journal: Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy
Funder: Academy of Finland

5-May-2026

FAU review: Obesity and Alzheimer’s linked by disease-driving metabolic pathways

Florida Atlantic University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A review finds increasing evidence that obesity and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are biologically linked. The researchers highlight shared early metabolic disruptions involving mitochondrial dysfunction, chronic inflammation and abnormal signaling from fat tissue, which can affect brain health long before symptoms appear. The research also points to the gut-brain axis as a contributor to neurodegeneration. Together, the findings suggest AD risk may begin earlier than previously thought and support a shift toward whole-body, metabolic-focused prevention.

Journal: Cells

5-May-2026

Alzheimer’s drug development pipeline shows impressive growth and diversity of therapies

University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Over the past year, 59 new Alzheimer’s clinical trials entered the pipeline, signaling increasing confidence in the global effort to find a cure. For the past decade, noted Alzheimer’s clinician-scientist Dr. Jeffrey Cummings and colleagues have released an annual report tracking the progress of trials in the drug development pipeline. The 2026 annual report published on May 5 in Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions, a journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.