Tuesday, December 20, 2011

How to know if you have Alzheimer's


 A group of Finnish researchers have discovered a new system to detect Alzheimer's disease at an early stage by a simple blood test, which could allow the disease diagnosed several years before symptoms appear.
As reported in today's Technology Research Centre of Finland (VTT), scientists at the agency and the University of Eastern Finland have found that Alzheimer's is preceded by a "molecular signature" consisting of three metabolites (molecules produced during metabolism).
The study, published in the journal "Translational Psychiatry" suggests that the detection of these biomarkers in the blood can distinguish between people with mild memory problems and those that are in early stages of dementia.

Thus, a simple blood test would help identify patients at high risk of developing Alzheimer's, so that preventive measures could be taken to slow or even prevent the onset of the disease.
To develop the clinical work, the team of Finnish scientists analyzed more than two years for blood samples from 226 elderly, of whom 46 were healthy, 37 had Alzheimer's and 143 suffered mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a stage prior to the dementia.
Once the follow-up period, 52 of the 143 patients with MCI had developed Alzheimer's.
Analysis of blood plasma of these old revealed that he had changed the chemical composition of their blood, a sign of changes in the brain.
"To establish the pathogenic relevance of this type of predictive biomarkers may not only facilitate early diagnosis, but can also help identify new therapeutic avenues," say the authors, led by Professor Matej Oresic.

According Oresic, research on these chemicals and their relation to the development of Alzheimer's could help create new drugs to fight the disease.