Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Edges Closer

by Isabella Dutta
July 21, 2014

British scientists have edged closer to discovering a blood test that can predict the onset of Alzheimer’s with 87% accuracy through the isolation of a set of identifying proteins. Though the test is not yet ready for approval, the findings are highly encouraging as doctors regard the early detection of Alzheimer’s to be key to the treatment of the disease.

Currently, patients who are worried about the onset of Alzheimer’s can only be told by their doctors to watch their symptoms for signs of deterioration. Since symptoms of Alzheimer appear about a decade after the onset of the disease, any treatment that follows is believed by doctors to be delivered too late to do any real good.

There is, however, a downside to the test. With 87% accuracy, the risk is that some healthy people will be told that they run the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. A mistaken diagnosis would inevitably lead to unnecessary anxiety. It would be important therefore to back positive results with brain scans and tests on spinal fluid.

Source: BBC, July 2014