from journal Nature Medicine
Alzheimer’s disease remains a frustratingly complex and devastating disease with no known cure or effective treatment. A study at Georgetown University Medical Center published in the journal Nature Medicine raises the possibility that a blood test may one day predict dementia early enough to slow or even prevent onset of symptoms. This blood test may predict with greater than ninety percent accuracy if a healthy person will develop mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease within three years. The blood test measures ten lipids or fats in the blood and, with that information patients their families and doctors could plan for and manage the disorder while still in its pre-clinical stage. This first known blood test for pre-clinical Alzheimer’s is expected to be ready for clinical testing in as little as two years.