An early Alzheimer's treatment that removes amyloid plaques from the brain many years before symptoms arise may help delay the onset of dementia, a clinical trial suggests.

For the first time, scientists say, they have evidence that using a biologic drug to remove sticky beta amyloid plaques from the brains of people destined to develop Alzheimer’s dementia can delay the disease.

A new study has found that an experimental drug appears to reduce the risk of Alzheimer' s-related dementia in people destined to develop the disease in their 30s, 40s, or 50s. The findings suggest -- for the first time in a clinical trial -- that early treatment to remove amyloid plaques from the brain many years before symptoms arise can delay the onset of Alzheimer's dementia.