Scientists Develop Blood Test For Alzheimer's Disease (theguardian.com) 18
Scientists have developed a blood test to diagnose Alzheimer's disease without the need for expensive brain imaging or a painful lumbar puncture, where a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is drawn from the lower back. If validated, the test could enable faster diagnosis of the disease, meaning therapies could be initiated earlier. The Guardian reports: Current guidelines recommend detection of three distinct markers: abnormal accumulations of amyloid and tau proteins, as well as neurodegeneration -- the slow and progressive loss of neuronal cells in specified regions of the brain. This can be done through a combination of brain imaging and CSF analysis. However, a lumbar puncture can be painful and people may experience headaches or back pain after the procedure, while brain imaging is expensive and takes a long time to schedule.
Although current blood tests can accurately detect abnormalities in amyloid and tau proteins, detecting markers of nerve cell damage that are specific to the brain has been harder. [Prof Thomas Karikari at the University of Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania] and his colleagues around the world focused on developing an antibody-based blood test that would detect a particular form of tau protein called brain-derived tau, which is specific to Alzheimer's disease. They tested it in 600 patients at various stages of Alzheimer's and found that levels of the protein correlated well with levels of tau in the CSF, and could reliably distinguish Alzheimer's from other neurodegenerative diseases. Protein levels also closely corresponded with the severity of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in brain tissue from people who had died with Alzheimer's. The research was published in the journal Brain.
Although current blood tests can accurately detect abnormalities in amyloid and tau proteins, detecting markers of nerve cell damage that are specific to the brain has been harder. [Prof Thomas Karikari at the University of Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania] and his colleagues around the world focused on developing an antibody-based blood test that would detect a particular form of tau protein called brain-derived tau, which is specific to Alzheimer's disease. They tested it in 600 patients at various stages of Alzheimer's and found that levels of the protein correlated well with levels of tau in the CSF, and could reliably distinguish Alzheimer's from other neurodegenerative diseases. Protein levels also closely corresponded with the severity of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in brain tissue from people who had died with Alzheimer's. The research was published in the journal Brain.
This should help (Score:4, Interesting)
'Photobiomodulation' devices such as this should help Alzheimer's
https://www.blockbluelight.com... [blockbluelight.com.au]
Also, 40 Hz entrainment devices, that pulse light and sound at 40Hz
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An extremely complex post, complete with a reference... but I'm still puzzled. Is this you complaining about dupes? :-D
aging population? make age a disease! (Score:1)
- as the average age of the population increases and we successfully treat other diseases and reduce risk in all elements of life, more people are dying of old age
- this presents a problem for our bottom line so we need new ailments for health industry consumers to fear
- let's make the normal human lifespan a pathological condition! Old age is now an illness that needs treatment. The net is cast wide and catches all. As long as they have the money.
- Profit!
Re:aging population? make age a disease! (Score:5, Insightful)
Dementia is not a normal part of aging.
Only 3% of people aged 65 to 69 have dementia.
For those over 90, 35% have dementia, which means most don't.
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Dementia is not a normal part of aging.
Only 3% of people aged 65 to 69 have dementia.
For those over 90, 35% have dementia, which means most don't.
It probably depends how one defines normal. Something is going to end a person. That's normal. Heart disease, cancer, dementia of one sort of another, all likely paths to the end.
Now an abnormal death might be from a meteor strike.
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Going from 3% to 35% as you age makes it seem pretty much like a normal part of aging.
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Cancer rates go up as you get to a certain age (between 65 and 74) but the rate starts decreasing after that age. Reference: https://www.webmd.com/cancer/g... [webmd.com]
Re: aging population? make age a disease! (Score:4, Informative)
Dementia is a disease, it is not normal aging. It is also a very slow way to die, with increasing disability over many years, horrible for the patient (at least while they are aware of it) and for their families till the end. It also places a massive burden on families, health systems and care services.
Yes, this is more prevalent now due to increasing age, but that's because increasing age is a risk factor, not the cause. The fact more people are able to get dementia shows the success of treatment of other conditions. Yes, people will eventually die of something, but this is not the thing what you want to die of. There are few better targets for medical research and future treatments right now.
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Dementia is a disease, it is not normal aging. It is also a very slow way to die, with increasing disability over many years, horrible for the patient (at least while they are aware of it) and for their families till the end. It also places a massive burden on families, health systems and care services. Yes, this is more prevalent now due to increasing age, but that's because increasing age is a risk factor, not the cause. The fact more people are able to get dementia shows the success of treatment of other conditions. Yes, people will eventually die of something, but this is not the thing what you want to die of. There are few better targets for medical research and future treatments right now.
It's rather odd, I know from experience that the anti-dementia meds at present have the opposite effect on people - it draws out the nightmare at best.
You don't just go along, bright and chipper, your normal self, until 3 days before you pass, then forget where you put your car keys.
You just extend the hell for a while, and perhaps get a few extra years of it. And you pay for that!
My advance directive specifically forbids dementia treatment. I'm certain that will result in less profit for the nursing
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We been fighting against our limited lifespan since we got our big brains.
It's basically a fundamental behavior of the human animal, just like woodpeckers peck wood or lions sleep most of the time.
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Long overdue! And before you say "dying of old age is normal" — yes, so is dying from an infection. Or a broken leg...
Well, yeah — the honest way to earn a living is by doing, what other people want done. And the best (the only?) sincere way to communicate these wants is by paying for them.
So, yeah, everything is strongly biased towards people, who "have the money" — and there is nothing wrong with it.
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The REAL question is, should one stab someone with a blood test, is that a medical procedure or assault?
I'm asking for a friend.
Self administered, with many steps (Score:3)
Step 88, the final one, simply says, "If you combined all the vials in the right order then the color in the test tube is purple; so congratulations, you don't have Alzheimer's."
Step 5 was "put your car keys under a couch cushion", and step 75 was "get your car keys", so it wasn't as easy as you might think.
Too late (Score:2)
A few articles above, there's a chatbot who can detect it by listening to you speaking, no blood test needed. :-)
...but they forgot where the put it! (Score:2)
Bah-dum...chk!