Efforts to eliminate lead in our communities have been going on for decades—from lead in old paint and pipes to contaminated soil. Those efforts protect current and future generations. But past exposure to lead is the subject of new research at the University of Michigan. Scientists found that cumulative exposure to lead is concentrated in bones, then years later may be released into the body, including the brain. The study found accumulation of lead is an important and often overlooked risk factor for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. It found cumulative exposure to lead matters more than recent exposure. Authors wrote in the Journal of Alzheimer’s & Dementia an estimated ninety thousand cases of Alzheimer’s each year may be associated with that long-term exposure to lead.