Welcome  to  Public  health  moment from  the  University  of  Minnesota. Determining  the  risk  factors  for Alzheimer's  disease  and  other  forms  of  dementia  is the  goal  of  a  new  26  million  study funded  by  the  National  Institutes  of  Health. The  study  involves  University  of  Minnesota  researchers, including  Alvaro  Alonzo, an  assistant  professor  of  epidemiology. He  says  it  will  build  on  the  so  called  Eric  study, an  influential  20  year  old  project  that  has  looked at  and  identified  risk  factors for  heart  disease  and  stroke. Because  we  have  all  this  previous  information on  cardiovascular  risk  factors, it's  actually  a  very  nice  setting  to  determine  whether cardiovascular  disease  might  be  related to  the  development  of  cognitive  decline, dementia,  including  Alzheimer's  disease. Previous  research  has  already  shown a  connection  between  cardiovascular  disease  and  dementia. Alonzo  says  this  study, when  finalized  in  about  three  years, should  lead  to  new  preventive  strategies  and treatments  for  Alzheimer's  and  other  forms  of  dementia. Because  if  we  understand  better  biology going  line  these  processes that  will  help  us  to  develop  new  treatments. And  even  for  people  who  start  developing cognitive  decline  or  dementia, our  study  will  help  to treat  those  people  with  another  public  health  moment. I'm  John  Finnegan.