Alzheimer’s is often seen as a disease that simply happens with age. Recent scientific insights and developments tell a different story. Early biological shifts in the brain can begin decades before memory loss. Fortunately, these changes are measurable, actionable, and in many cases, modifiable.

“At Radence, we’re not waiting for symptoms to appear,” said Dr. Julie Chen, Chief Medical Officer. “We’re identifying the earliest signals of risk and intervening when the brain is still healthy. That’s where the real transformation happens.”

Looking Beyond a Single Cause

Dr. Julie Chen, Radence Chief Medical Officer

“Most people don’t realize that the standard annual physical does not include screening for Alzheimer’s,” Dr. Chen explained. “It’s simply not part of the typical workup. Your doctor isn’t testing for the ApoE gene, looking at brain volumetrics, or tracking markers of damage to the brain over time. Unless there’s a strong family history or symptoms already present, it’s rarely discussed. That gap is significant, because by the time someone shows signs of cognitive decline, years or even decades of biological change may have already occurred. What we’re doing at Radence is making those invisible risks visible, giving people the opportunity to act early, while their brains are still healthy.”

Alzheimer’s is not a one-organ disease. It’s the result of interconnected biological systems — cardiovascular, metabolic, inflammatory, and genetic — working in concert or, in some cases, against one another.

“Brain health doesn’t exist in isolation,” Dr. Chen said. “When we strengthen heart health, optimize metabolism, improve sleep, and reduce inflammation, we’re also protecting the brain. That’s the shift from a single-cause mindset to a systems-based approach.”

This view reframes prevention as holistic optimization, aligning multiple factors that influence cognitive health rather than chasing an isolated biomarker or genetic trait.

Knowing Your Baseline and Tracking Change

Every Radence member begins with an extensive baseline evaluation that includes:

  • Genomic analysis to uncover inherited risk factors
  • Volumetric brain imaging to measure structure and atrophy
  • Proteomic and biomarker assessment
  • Cognitive testing to establish current function

This data-rich foundation allows Radence clinicians to track subtle biological changes over time, highlighting the earliest indicators of disease, well before symptoms develop. Cognitive testing helps to tell the story of change and track response to therapies.

“You can’t recognize early decline without a reference point,” Dr. Chen said. “A single snapshot in time doesn’t tell the story. Longitudinal data does.”

Early Action, Lasting Impact

Microvascular injury and inflammation may begin years, even decades, before Alzheimer’s symptoms emerge. That’s why Dr. Chen encourages proactive screening early in adulthood. “The best time to understand your brain health is when you’re well,” she said. “Whether you’re 20, 30, or 50, the data you collect now becomes the roadmap for protecting your future self.”

When changes are identified, Radence clinicians intervene through integrated, individualized plans that target every system influencing the brain, such as cardiovascular and metabolic systems.

“We optimize what we can control,” Dr. Chen said. “And we can control a lot.”

The Cost of Waiting

More than 57 million people are living with dementia worldwide, and Alzheimer’s accounts for up to 70 percent of those cases. By 2050, that number is projected to rise to nearly 150 million. The cost is measured in relationships, independence, and time. Early detection changes the equation: prevention and slower progression translate into years of preserved independence and quality of life.

“People often ask, Do I really want to know?” Dr. Chen said. “The answer is yes, because today, there is something we can do. The earlier we know, the more we can act.”

The Radence Approach: Precision, Partnership, Prevention

Radence’s integrated approach bridges advanced diagnostics with personalized, physician-guided prevention. It empowers individuals and their clinicians with information once considered impossible to access until too late.

“We finally have the tools to intercept Alzheimer’s before it takes hold,” Dr. Chen said. “The future of brain health isn’t waiting for decline — it’s detecting the earliest signs and acting on them. That’s the kind of medicine that transforms lives.”