US researchers have developed an antibody test that can
precisely detect if Alzheimer’s exist in a person before the symptoms appear. The
test set to be available soon, will give physicians a chance to intercede at
the earliest stage of the disease when treatment is possible.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. It
is fatal and progressive. The accumulation of amyloid plaques and
neurofibrillary tangles are the prime suspects behind damage and death of nerve
cells that destroy a person’s memory and cognitive skills.
The cause of Alzheimer’s is unknown and there is no cure for
the disease, but different drug and non-drug therapies can make a person live
ably with the disease.
Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in the United
States. An estimated 5.3 million Americans have Alzheimer’s. [Read more Mushrooms
May Be Effective In Fighting Off Aging]
In the UK, an estimated 850,000 people will have dementia by
the end of 2015 and the number will rise to 1 million by 2025. Every year
nearly 60,000 deaths are directly attributed to dementia.
However, there is no definitive blood test for Alzheimer’s
that has been approved by the FDA.
The research presented by Dr. Robert Nagele, PhD, at the American Osteopathic
Association’s Osteopathic Medical Conference and Exposition (OMED15) in
Orlando, Florida explains how antibodies act as blood-based biomarkers in order
to detect countless diseases and identify the progression stage of the stage.
[Read more Diabetes
treatment may become ‘ouchless’ with the new insulin pill]
The researchers based their work on the hypothesis that thousands
of autoantibody present in human blood specifically sticks to blood-borne cellular
waste produced by organs and tissues in the body.
A person’s gender, age and the presence of particular
disease plays a role on his or her autoantibody profile. Attribute changes in
autoantibody caused by diseases can perform as biomarkers that exhibit the presence
of the disease. [Read more Anxiety
may be an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease in older adults]
In Alzheimer’s, changes in the brain start to occur years
before the symptoms appear. If the doctors are able to detect antibodies at the
preclinical stage, it would give the patients a chance to work with the
physicians to make lifestyle changes and receive treatments before symptoms
appear. This process could eliminate or delay the most damaging symptoms.
While the cause of Alzheimer’s is unknown, researchers
believe that a critical preventative measure can be taken by maintaining a
healthy blood-brain barrier. [মধুর যত মধুর গুণাবলী]
Dr. Nagele points to the benefits of early detection of
diseases because various conditions leading to vascular disease and risk
factors for Alzheimer’s are similar. People who have preclinical disease can
attempt to enhance their vascular health, such as controlling their diet,
exercising and take steps to manage problems with blood pressure and weight in
order to ward off slow progression of Alzheimer’s.
Other diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple
sclerosis (MS) and breast cancer could also be detected by this test. [Read
more Eating
alone may have dangerous effects on your health]
According to Jennifer Caudle, assistant professor of family
medicine at Rowan University, physicians always endorse a healthy lifestyle to
prevent diseases, but many people disregard the advice until a health crisis
happens.
