The earlier a person is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease the greater their benefit from treatment.

Catherine Roe, Ph.D., neurology research instructor, Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC), Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, reviewed data representing over 22,000 Alzheimer’s patients.

Roe found that Alzheimer’s patients with more that 12 years of education were diagnosed at a slightly younger age than patients with less than 8 years of schooling. One possible reason is that individuals with higher levels of education are more likely to have a job or hobby that highlights early cognitive impairment; they also have access to better medical care.

Researchers feel that education level are factors that need to be incorporated into Alzheimer’s screening procedures for early detection.