Alzheimer’s is a terrible condition that most people wouldn’t wish upon their worst enemy. Perhaps what is most frightening is the uncertainty of it. Could the forgetfulness of a friend or relative be a benign result of aging, or the start of a slow, inexorable decline? What if there were a way to know you were at risk long before seeing signs? One exciting new report means that may be possible.
Alzheimer’s By The Numbers
According to the 2020 Alzheimer’s Association special report, “An estimated 5.8 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2020.” 10% of people over 65 in the United States have Alzheimer’s. This degenerative brain disease eats away at your memories and cognitive function, until you slowly die. It’s a frightening fate. On average, it takes 4-8 years to die, but some people can linger as long as 20. “At age 80, approximately 75% of people with Alzheimer’s dementia live in a nursing home,” says the special report. This is “compared with only 4% of the general population age 80.” (1)
The JAMA Study
According to a report presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference and published in the journal, JAMA, a new blood test has been discovered that is just as effective as tests that are much more expensive. It can tell the difference between Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Furthermore, if your Alzheimer’s is caused by a genetic mutation, this test can let you know if you have the disease 20 years before symptoms start to develop. But that’s not all. This test uses an analysis of protein “plasma phospho-tau217 (P-tau217).” Additionally, since tau protein increases as dementia diseases progress, this new blood test would possibly be able to tell the subject how quickly the disease would progress. (2, 3)
Alzheimer’s In A Clinical Setting
This test could be used in a clinical, rather than theoretical, setting in as little as 2-3 years, according to researchers. The report has others involved in Alzheimer’s research excited, too, even if they weren’t involved. Dr. Michael Weiner has been doing his own research on Alzheimer’s at the University of California, San Francisco. The test is “not a cure, it’s not a treatment, but you can’t treat the disease without being able to diagnose it,” he enthuses about the report. “And accurate, low-cost diagnosis is really exciting, so it’s a breakthrough.”
The chief science officer of the Alzheimer’s Association, Maria Carillo, is excited about the possibilities. “This test really opens up the possibility of being able to use a blood test in the clinic to diagnose someone more definitely with Alzheimer’s. Amazing, isn’t it?” she asks. “I mean, really, five years ago, I would have told you it was science fiction.” (2)
The Benefits Of Early Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
“None of the pharmacologic treatments (medications) available today for Alzheimer’s dementia slow or stop the damage and destruction,” says the Alzheimer’s Association special report. However, when treatments do become available, they “may be most effective when administered early in the disease continuum.”
This new blood test could make sure that when these treatments happen, they are at peak usefulness. (1)
