Scientists Close In On Blood Test For Alzheimer's (cbsnews.com) 50
pgmrdlm shares a report from CBS News: Scientists are closing in on a long-sought goal -- a blood test to screen people for possible signs of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. On Monday at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference, half a dozen research groups gave new results on various experimental tests, including one that seems 88% accurate at indicating Alzheimer's risk. Doctors are hoping for something to use during routine exams, where most dementia symptoms are evaluated, to gauge who needs more extensive testing. Current tools such as brain scans and spinal fluid tests are too expensive or impractical for regular check-ups. Dr. Richard Hodes, director of the National Institute on Aging, called the new results "very promising" and said blood tests soon will be used to choose and monitor people for federally funded studies, though it will take a little longer to establish their value in routine medical care. "In the past year we've seen a dramatic acceleration in progress" on these tests, he said. "This has happened at a pace that is far faster than any of us would have expected."
But without any real preventative measures.... (Score:2)
I mean, at best it will just keep you from enjoying whatever quality time you do have left.
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Just think of the benefit for corporations, even without symptoms they can weed out potential troublesome employees. Maybe it could be a regular thing like drug screening to get rid of some of the older higher paid folk without repercussions.
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Just think of the benefit for corporations, even without symptoms they can weed out potential troublesome employees.
Or conversely, they could identify employees who may not remember whether they have already been paid this month.
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If they're married, that will be noticed! Anyway the law in the USA is clear, wages must be timely and not withheld.
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I mean, at best it will just keep you from enjoying whatever quality time you do have left.
Likely the opposite. If you know your lucid time is limited, you will be sure to make the most of it. Fewer late nights at the office, more time with the grandkids.
I would definitely want to know, so I can plan accordingly.
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Because clearly if you can find it on the internet, it must be true, right? I'm not doubting that is what you have actually experienced, but you have to concede that is anecdotal evidence. I mean, don't you think it's at all peculiar that you began with:
and concluded with:
Personally, I'm not suprised. You lost most of your credibility when you th
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Because clearly if you can find it on the internet, it must be true, right?
When it is on an official site for scientific papers, I do tend to believe them but I always verify. And when I have actually met the research scientist who authored it even more so. But again, you clearly want to remain ignorant.
And you know damn well I was referring to my own experience but you want to inflame the situation and puff yourself up. Go right ahead. It's clear you have an agenda to discredit actual science. I'm done feeding trolls today.
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And here you pretend to somehow know what my "agenda" is. Typical, considering what you had already said, above.
Studies which purport to have found so-called cures or preventatives for Alzheimer's through diet typically lack control groups, many are founded simply on anecdotal evidence. They are categorically *NOT* science. There's
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I never suggested that diabetes and obesity were not regulatable with a proper diet. There are numerous scientific studies that support that.
Alzeimer's and dementia, however, not so much. The influence of diet upon them is not scientifically established.
Maybe there is a link, but it's quite far from scientifically proven. The evidence that supports it is still entirely anec
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Given that there's a significantly elevated risk of Alzheimer's in people with Type 2 diabetes (to such a degree that many in the medical community have suggested renaming it "Type 3 diabetes"), if it isn't influenced by diet, that would be rather surprising.
Other forms of dementia, not so much.
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Let's say your anecdote was confirmed by scientific studies, which it hasn't been. Even then, what would that have to do with Alzheimers? You wouldn't have gotten Alzheimers in your 50s in any case.
I would! (Score:3)
Alzheimer's clouded the last two decades of my paternal grandmother's life, and dementia hastened my father's death, so yes, I would want to know if I'm at a higher risk of getting either one of these conditions. While I do generally live a pretty full life, I would step up even more if I knew my time was more limited. Knowing would impact my retirement plans (I'm 56 now and looking to retire by 60), and I would ensure my affairs are fully in order well in advance so my wife and children understand comple
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What I will say and have discussed this with others that have dealt with family members who had Alzheimer's. Who is to say that they are not happier in the world as they perceive it? They remember family and friends from the happiest times in their life.
All I know is that this disease affects family and fri
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Seconded. ... and until they develop treatments or a cure, not only would I not want to know, but I would not want my health insurance company or any other company I do business with to know. Screw that. That's information that unfortunately that could be used against you.
Diagnosis is fine, but a cure is vital. (Score:1)
A recent note in New Scientist pointed out that there is effectively NO research being done on a cure or even a palliative. The article gave two reasons for this:
1. The research is very very expensive.
2. Big Pharma won't get enough money to satisfy their MBAs anyway.
Re:Diagnosis is fine, but a cure is vital. (Score:4, Interesting)
1. The research is very very expensive.
This blood test can help with that. A big hurdle for dementia research is the test population has to be large because most people don't get dementia. If a blood test can be used to zero in on those likely to get dementia, then clinical trials can be much smaller and more cost effective.
2. Big Pharma won't get enough money to satisfy their MBAs anyway.
This blood test can help with that too. It is much more likely that drugs will successfully prevent dementia than cure it, and this blood test will open up a huge new market for preventative treatments.
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What are you talking about? "Big Pharma" has dumped a ton of money into research on Alzheimer's drugs, developed a number of prospective treatments/preventatives, some made it to human trials. Most flamed out at some point during human trials. At least 1 worsened the symptoms. Turns out we don't understand Alzheimers as well as we thought. I don't think researchers even agree if beta-amyloid is a cause or a symptom of Alzheimers (some drugs helped reduce beta amyloid but don't seem to help the symptoms).
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Your statement about us just not knowing much about the disease is absolutely correct. What these tests might allow is for us to find people before the onset so we can better track the slide in hope to find the true triggers.
Excellent (Score:3)
88% not good (Score:1)
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It's like all genetic testing (Score:2)
Sometimes knowing is worse than knowing.
We've found, in medicine, that if you tell people they have certain diseases, they not only won't follow prescriptions for how to reduce their risk factors, they'll go whole hog into increased activity that multiplies their risk factors.
If you're concerned you may have risks for AD or other dementias, you should really talk with a genetic counselor, not your average MD.
progress (Score:1)