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Scientists are now experimenting with a simple blood test that can tell if you will have Alzheimer's in the next five years.
Scientists at the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases have specified that they have identified three biomarkers that could potentially act as warning signs for someone that may end up suffering from Alzheimer's in the near future.
This simple blood test could help doctors recognize the disease early. When a doctor sees signs of dementia early, they could work on slowing down the condition and potentially delaying its symptoms.
Currently, in the United States, there are 6.2 million suffering from dementia.
How was the study done?
Scientists gave cognitive tests to 132 individuals aged 18 to 77 years old. Scientists took blood samples from these individuals that they could use to analyze their levels of microRNA's.
Results would show that 90% of patients who would later develop dementia in the next two years had elevated levels of three microRNA's. This could be revolutionizing!!!
Alzheimer's is a progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys thinking skills, memory and the ability to perform simple tasks. The majority of people with Alzheimer's are aged 65 and older.
There is no known cause to Alzheimer's, but those with the APOE gene are likely to develop late-onset Alzheimer's.
There are many signs and symptoms that one has dementia, those include:
- Disorientation
- Difficulty remembering newly learned information
- Difficulty with speaking, swallowing and walking
- Serious memory loss
- Suspicion about family, friends, and professional caregivers
- Mood and behavioral changes
Scientists hope that these tests can be priced at similar levels to COVID lateral flow tests - this would make the tests easily accessible.
The head of research for Alzheimer's Research UK, Dr. James Connell discussed these tests and their potential:
"This is very early-stage research and the approach will have to be tested much more before we can know whether it holds real potential to help with the diagnosis or treatment of people with dementia" ... "Future dementia treatment and preventions are likely to be most effective if we can identify people who could benefit earlier, ideally before devastating symptoms like memory loss have started to affect their lives."
Dementia is currently only diagnosed using cognitive tests and brain scans.
Only time will tell to see if these revolutionary tests can actually help predict if you will develop Alzheimer's.