The current finding grew out of an extensive evaluation of the data from last year's study, and it could eventually help scientists pinpoint more precise targets for treatments -- the same approach that has led to major advances in treating other diseases.

For example, Bredesen explained, researchers have recently been able to develop precise treatments for cancer by sequencing tumor genomes and comparing them to the patients' genomes to better understand what drives the formation and growth of tumors.

"However, in Alzheimer's disease, there is no tumor to biopsy," Bredesen said. "So how do we get an idea about what is driving the process? The approach we took was to use the underlying metabolic mechanisms of the disease process to guide the establishment of an extensive set of laboratory tests, such as fasting insulin, copper-to-zinc ratio and dozens of others."

Going forward, Bredesen and his team will seek to determine whether the subtypes have different underlying causes, and whether they respond differently to potential treatments.

The need for a new approach to treat Alzheimer's is urgent. It is the most common age-related dementia, and the number of people with the disease in the U.S. is expected to increase to 15 million in 2050, from nearly 6 million today. The cost to treat people in the U.S. with Alzheimer's and other dementias is expected to be $226 billion in 2015 alone, and could reach $1.1 trillion in 2050.

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The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (AG165070, AG034427 and AGO36975), the Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research at UCLA, the Douglas and Ellen Rosenberg Foundation, the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, the Joseph Drown Foundation, the Alzheimer's Association, the Accelerate Fund, the Buck Institute and Marin Community Foundation, the Michael and Catherine Podell Fund, Craig Johnson, Allan Bortell and Michaela Hoag.

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