MAPT and Alzheimer disease: Apart from the effect of population age on the societal risk of cognitive decline, prior research focused on individual risk factors such as the amyloid and tau pathology seen in Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular risk factors including hypertension and diabetes, the impact of diet and exercise, and the protective effects of education.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13