A new Mayo Clinic study found that the clinical criteria for mild cognitive impairment is better at predicting who will develop Alzheimer's disease than a single memory test.

By Marilynn Marchione CHICAGO - A milder type of mental decline that often precedes Alzheimer's disease is alarmingly more common than has been believed, and in men more than women, doctors reported Monday.

Nearly a million older Americans slide from normal memory into mild impairment each year researchers estimate, based on a Mayo Clinic study of Minnesota residents.

A milder type of mental decline that often precedes Alzheimer's disease is alarmingly more common than has been believed, and in men more than women, doctors reported Monday.

By Mary Brophy Marcus The incidence of mild cognitive impairment, often described as a precursor to Alzheimer's disease, is much higher than expected, said Mayo Clinic scientists who presented research on Monday at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease meeting in Chicago.