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10
Mar 2020
Alzheimer’s can be swiftly detected through simple blood test
Scientists in the US say the simple blood test can detect Alzheimer’s disease early in patients visiting their doctor with deteriorating memory.
They added that the test, which is faster and more accurate than current methods, could be used by practitioners within the next five years.
The test measures levels of a protein called tau in the blood, which is known to build up in the brain and lead to cell death, and was found to be 3.5 times higher in the blood of Alzheimer’s patients than healthy people.
There is currently no single test for dementia, diagnoses are based on a combination of brain scans and assessments such as pen and paper tests.
Professor Adam Boxer of the memory and ageing centre at California University in San Francisco and senior author of the study, said the aim is for the test to be used in GP surgeries for people with memory concerns.
He added “It could identify people who should be referred to specialised centres to participate in clinical trials or to be treated with new Alzheimer’s therapies once they’re approved.”
Dr Sara Imariso, Alzheimer’s Research UK’s head of research, said “A blood test for Alzheimer’s would be a simple, cost-effective and relatively non-invasive way to give key insights about disease processes underway in the brain.
“We know the diseases that cause dementia begin decades before symptoms show, so a reliable blood test may one day be used to predict those with no obvious signs of disease who are most likely to go on to develop dementia.”
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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
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