Novel Blood Test With 90% Accuracy Enables Early Detection of Alzheimer's Disease

Early detection is critical for treating any health issue, and researchers are constantly looking for novel ways to detect Alzheimer's disease in its early stages. A blood-based test discovered identifiable blood proteins associated with Alzheimers disease and mild cognitive impairment, according to recent findings presented at Neuroscience 2023 (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Neuroscience 2023 Overview

Go to source). Researchers are also investigating who is most vulnerable. They discovered that men experience a faster accumulation of protein biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and faster cognitive and brain volume decreases than women at the start of amyloid plaque buildup.

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Blood Test Identifies 18 Proteins Linked with Alzheimer's Disease

According to the abstract, the researchers discovered 18 proteins in the blood that looked to be connected to alterations associated with Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment. The researchers subsequently created an 18-protein panel to detect Alzheimer's disease or moderate cognitive impairment. They discovered that the panel had more than 90% accuracy in classifying the two diseases in two distinct cohorts.

When it comes to early identification of Alzheimer's disease, experts believe that testing blood proteins is an effective strategy. The study is yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

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Best Practices for Preventing Progression of Alzheimer's Disease

“These findings are promising as it is always helpful to detect diseases early,” said Dr. Andrew Newberg, neuroscientist and director of research at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health and a physician at Jefferson University Hospital. “The main issue is that since a truly effective therapy to stop AD is not available, it is less clear what we can do with such an earlier diagnosis.”

Evidence suggests that leading a healthy lifestyle that includes proper eating, exercise, and rest is the best current practice for preventing the formation and progression of Alzheimer's disease. However, they do not stop it, according to Newberg.

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Benefits of Early Detection of Alzheimer's Disease

This blood-based test can detect biochemical pathways that may be implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease and assist in early detection.

“The ability to measure hundreds of proteins simultaneously in the blood and determine patterns associated with risk for Alzheimer’s disease is promising both for increasing early diagnosis and for identifying biological pathways that may be implicated in the risk and progression of the disease, which is particularly relevant for developing treatments,” Adam Brickman, Ph.D., professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, stated.

Reference:

1. Neuroscience 2023 Overview - (https://www.sfn.org/meetings/neuroscience-2023)

Source-Medindia