Of course, with only limited treatment options available, there are risks to such early detection, according to CBC Radio’s White Coat, Black Art. However, the human body produces thousands of autoantibodies, and part of the development of the test has included determining which autoantibodies are specific to Alzheimer’s.
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Medical News Today writes that a person’s autoantibody profile depends on age, gender, and other factors.
Alzheimer’s disease usually affects elderly people, however, in recent years, the average age of early signs for this affection has considerably decreased.
The blood test indentifies the antibodies that target cellular debris to detect the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, stroke and being overweight can lead to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease as well.
Blood vessels in the brain are fragile, and as they become weak and brittle with time, they can start to seep blood-borne chemicals into the tissues of the brain that can have a degrading effect on neurons and synapses.
The test would be a quick and far cheaper way to flag up the disease at an early stage, allowing earlier treatment and by giving people to make lifestyle changes before the disease progresses.
The experts’ work is concentrated on using auto antibodies as primary blood biomarkers to quickly detect the symptoms of a variety of illnesses and determine the level to where a chronic affection has reached. The autoantibodies then can attach to nerves and speed up the formation of amyloid layers, a characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease. “People found to have preclinical disease can take steps to improve their vascular health, including watching their diet, exercising and managing any weight and blood pressure issues to help stave off or slow disease progression”, Nagele said.
By detecting Alzheimer’s disease long before symptoms emerge, Dr. Nagele hopes those with disease-related autoantibody biomarkers will be encouraged to make beneficial lifestyle changes that may help to slow development of the disease.
The test, details of which were presented October. 18 at OMED 15, the American Osteopathic Association’s annual conference in Orlando, also shows promise in detecting other diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and breast cancer.
Jennifer Caudle, assistant professor of family medicine at Rowan University, said: ‘As osteopathic physicians, we constantly tell patients a healthy lifestyle is the best medicine for preventing disease.
According to Alzheimer’s Association, more than 5.3 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s.
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“I can’t think of a single patient who wouldn’t take steps to prevent the progression of Alzheimer’s if they could directly affect their prognosis”, said Claude.
