The new Alzheimer’s blood test recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can now detect the disease in people with early stages of the disease. The study that led to the discovery was published in the Friday edition of Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia: Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease Society.
Highly accurate
“Our study found that blood tests confirm the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease with 95% sensitivity and 82% specificity,” said Gregg Day, MD, a neurologist, dementia expert and clinical investigator at Mayo Clinic.
In other words, these tests found Alzheimer’s 95% of the time and ruled out people without dementia 82% of the time.
FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary, MD, MPH said: “Alzheimer’s disease affects too many people and is more important than breast and prostate cancer.
FDA Fast Track Approval
The blood test method was performed on Alzheimer’s disease by using Lumipulse gp tau217/b-amyloid plasma ratio. The concentration of PTAU217 is measured, a tau protein that forms tangles in the brain. It also measures B-amyloid 1-42, an important part of amyloid plaques in the blood. The ratio of these proteins is diagnosed with any amyloid plaque in the brain.
FDA clears blood test for quick use to specify it Breakthrough device. This means its development, review and approval are accelerated.
Cheap, less invasive
The method of diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease in the early stages is expensive and invasive.
Standard diagnostic measures usually begin with a review of family history and cognitive and functional examinations. These steps are relatively cheap and non-invasive. However, more detailed tests may include positron emission tomography (PET) or brain scans and spinal faucets.
The test for neo-Alzheimer’s is just a blood draw. No spinal fluid extraction or imaging is required.
“When performed in an outpatient clinical setting, this is similar to the accuracy of the cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of the disease and is more convenient and cost-effective,” Day said.
Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers are proteins, peptides and nucleic acids that can show diseases, especially in the spine and brain.
How the research is done
Mayo’s research was conducted at the Jacksonville Clinic, Florida. About 500 patients treated with memory disorders participated in the study. They are 32 to 89 years old.
The results show that 56% of people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease.
What causes Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is an incurable brain disease. Usually, it develops slowly over a few years. However, in some people, it can develop rapidly.
The researchers tried to determine what causes the accumulation of protein deposits, mainly amyloid plaques and tau tangles. However, Other factors are known to contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s diseaseAccording to the National Institute of Aging (NIA). They include:
- Genetic factors.
- Lifestyle – Smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise and pollution.
- Medical conditions – diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
- Age – This disease usually develops after the age of 65.
- Brain damage increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
- Depression and social isolation.
- obesity.
Most areas of the brain are ultimately affected by the disease. These include memory, cognitive function, language, problem solving, personality and movement.
Five stages of Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease usually passes Five stagesaccording to Mayo Clinic. There is no sign of disease in the preclinical stage and is usually found only through testing. This stage can last for years, or even decades.
Symptoms (such as mild memory loss and short-term thinking difficulties) occur in the mild cognitive impairment (MIC) stage. From there, the decline accelerates.
Mayo Clinic reports that people live on average three to 11 years. However, some people have lived for more than 20 years. Life expectancy is affected by the early stages of diagnosis, as well as the presence or absence of untreated vascular diseases such as hypertension.
Diagnosis- Not curable
Blood tests for neo-Alzheimer’s disease are a milestone for researchers and patients. However, this is not a cure.
“Today marks another important step in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Maria C. Carrillo said in FDA approval. She is the chief scientific officer of the Alzheimer’s Association. “For a long time, Americans have been working on simple and accurate diagnosis; through the FDA’s actions today, we hope that more people will be more likely to get accurate diagnosis as soon as possible.”
Most people who have Alzheimer’s disease experience Symptoms of the Sixties or laterAccording to the National Institute of Aging. In rare cases, signs of this disease may appear in people in their thirties.
treat
Even if it is not cured at present, early diagnosis is important to the patient’s quality of life.
one Various treatments Targeting different aspects of disease.
Donanemabsold under the name of Kissulla lecanemab,,,,, Sold as Leqembi is two treatments for Alzheimer’s disease that occurs early onset. They all collect and delete Beta-amyloid in the brain.
Although there are no treatments, these treatments have been shown to reduce the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. However, there may be side effects, including imaging abnormalities associated with amyloid (ARIA). This causes temporary swelling of the brain area.
When to see a doctor
June has been Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month since 1983. This makes this the best time to focus on brain health.
If you or a loved one keeps having problems in memory, perform routine tasks or think clearly, you should consider talking to your doctor.
The Alzheimer’s Association has created 10 early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s and dementia. They include:
- Memory loss can ruin daily life.
- Plan or solve the challenge of problem.
- Difficult to complete familiar tasks.
- Confused with time or place.
- Try to understand the relationship between visual images and spatiality.
- New questions about words in speaking or writing.
- Put things and lose the ability to trace the steps.
- Decreased or poor judgment.
- Exit work or social activities.
- Changes in emotions or personality.
Other sources of help
There are many resources to help individuals and families deal with Alzheimer’s disease.
The Alzheimer’s Association provides the following links:
- How is Alzheimer’s disease diagnosed?
- Communicate with your medical team (PDF)
- 10 warning signs worksheet (PDF)
- 10 warning signs for Alzheimer’s disease (Free online courses)
- Ten steps to solve other people’s memory problems (PDF)
- 10 steps to solve your memory problem (PDF)
- Why check it?
NIA lists these resources:
Nia Alzheimer and related dementia education and referral (ADEAR) centers
800-438-4380
adear@nia.nih.gov
www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers
The center provides free information, including printed publications about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia targeting families, caregivers and health professionals. Adear Center staff answers calls, emails and written requests and refers to local and national resources.
Alzheimer’s disease
www.alzheimers.gov
All federal agencies provide information on Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Elderly health locator
800-677-1116
norordercareLocator@usaging.org
Medlineplus
National Library
www.medlineplus.gov
Alzheimer’s Association
800-272-3900
866-403-3073 (TTY)
info@alz.org
www.alz.org
The American Foundation for Alzheimer’s
866-232-8484
info@alzfdn.org
www.alzfdn.org
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