Washington DC, March 20 -- 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.

The study has been published in The Lancet Neurology.

The international study involved 73 people with rare, inherited genetic mutations that cause the overproduction of amyloid in the brain, all but guaranteeing that they will develop Alzheimer's disease in middle age.

For a subgroup of 22 participants who had no cognitive problems ...