Alzheimer’s disease is the most common neurologic disease of aging, but few proposed explanations for the disease specifically consider a role for aging biology. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a well-documented phenomenon in Alzheimer’s disease, as well as a recognized hallmark of aging. This presentation will discuss a “Mitochondrial Cascade Hypothesis” that positions mitochondria as a mechanistic bridge that connects aging and Alzheimer’s disease biology, the intersection of this perspective on current popular Alzheimer’s disease paradigms, and its therapeutic implications.