• April 28, 2024

How to detect the dementia ? Researchers report the development of a blood test that can predict if an older person will suffer from dementia in the coming years with a certainty of 90%.

The test depends on the levels of 10 lipids or fats in the bloodstream to calculate the odds of mild cognitive impairment (which leads to memory loss and a decline in the ability of
think) or the beginnings of the disease Alzheimer's .

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Low levels of those 10 fats in the blood can predict the symptoms of dementia that are coming with surprising accuracy, said the study's author, the doctor Howard Federoff, executive dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Georgetown University.

A less invasive option

"We do not know why those 10 lipids are lower in individuals who are predisposed to cognitive decline," Federoff said. "We can not link this directly with our current understanding of
the pathobiology of Alzheimer's disease. "

María Carrillo, vice president of medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer's Association (Alzheimer's Association), said that this test could be easier to administer than the current tests used to detect the early onset of disease .

Now, doctors rely on expensive MRI and PET scans that have limited diagnostic capacity.

"Blood-based biomarkers are a great and useful option because they are more affordable, less invasive, easier to collect and less expensive to process," Carrillo said. "There are several in development for preclinical Alzheimer's disease, and more research is urgently needed in this area."
Precise tests that can determine who will contract Alzheimer's finally they could play a key role in finding a cure for the disease, Federoff said.

Since there are still no effective treatments available for Alzheimer's disease, the usefulness of an early warning test for the elderly remains uncertain. But Federoff believes that existing drugs could remain promising in the treatment of people at risk of Alzheimer's who have not yet contracted the disease.

"Will these therapies that modify the disease show promise if they are used in patients at risk of the disease before they have contracted it, when they do not have a clinical affectation?" Federoff asked.

"Is it possible to delay, or even stop at all, the advance to the demonstration? I believe that this opens up a whole new horizon for this type of investigation clinic".

Carrillo, of the Alzheimer's Association, noted that more research is needed on lipids, and Federoff agreed. "Although they are interesting, the results are preliminary," said Carrillo.

"They require replication and validation from other scientists in larger and more diverse populations to give them credibility, before they merit further development for clinical use." The results of the study appear in the March 9 issue of the journal Nature Medicine.

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