A BLOOD test that detects Alzheimer’s disease up to 15 years before symptoms appear will be made available free of charge on the NHS within a year.
The new test is cheaper, easier and at least as accurate as current diagnostic options, previous studies have shown.
It works by measuring the levels of a protein in the blood called p-tau217.
The protein is a sign of the devastating brain disease caused when tau begins attacking neurons.
These proteins can accumulate 15 years before typical symptoms, such as forgetfulness and cognitive decline, set in.
The Dementia Research Institute at University College London, which can receive tests from anywhere in the country, says it can analyze 100,000 a year.
UCL scientists have to complete a formal “validation process” for regulators, but they are confident this will be completed successfully by June next year – and believe it could be completed within seven months.
Dementia is the leading cause of death in Britain and Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of the disease, accounting for a third of cases.
Twelve months is a conservative estimate, it could be until the end of this year.
Dr Ashvini Keshavan
One in three people in England and one in two in Wales with dementia are undiagnosed, despite it being the biggest cause of death in the country, with around 900,000 cases in the UK.
More than 944,000 people in the UK suffer from dementia, a number that is expected to rise to more than one million by 2030.
Getting an early diagnosis can make more effective dementia treatments, which are known to be better at slowing the disease, the sooner they are taken.
Blood sample testing – which can cost between £20 and £100 – will mean many more people are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s earlier.
Current memory tasks, brain scans, and spinal fluid samples are slow and complicated; four in 10 patients are never diagnosed.
Dr Ashvini Keshavan, senior clinical researcher at UCL and honorary consultant neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, said: “Blood tests will be up and running in our clinical timetable within 12 months – of that I am quite confident.
“Twelve months is a conservative estimate, it could be until the end of this year.
“We’ve started validation, so we know the outlook of what we have to do will come together well within 12 months.”
Keshavan added: “The first step is to bring it into the NHS – that’s what we’re funded for – over the next 12 months.”
What are the symptoms of dementia?
Different types of dementia can affect people differently and everyone will experience symptoms in their own way.
However, there are some common early symptoms that may appear some time before dementia is diagnosed. These include:
- Memory loss
- Difficulty concentrating
- Finding it difficult to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as being confused about the correct change when shopping
- Struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word
- Being confused about time and place
- Change of mood
Source: The National Health Service
The final validation procedure before blood tests are available on the NHS looks at technical issues such as whether a remote site has the facilities to store a sample at the ideal cold temperature.
There are also plans to send cheaper blood test cards to people’s homes so they can provide samples themselves.
Professor Jonathan Schott, chief medical officer at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “If, as we hope, new treatments that could slow Alzheimer’s disease become available soon, then blood tests will be vital.”
An NHS England spokesperson said: “Blood-based biomarker testing is an exciting area of innovation.”
The Inexpensive Ways to Prevent Dementia Before It Happens
Although some dementia risk factors, such as age and genetics, cannot be changed, you can take steps to reduce your risk today.
1. Take 2p vitamins
Multivitamins that cost just 2 cents may prevent Alzheimer’s disease, study shows.
Researchers at Mass General Brigham, in the USA, discovered that people who take the pills every day experience slower brain aging and less memory loss.
They said the improvement was similar to being two years younger.
2. Eat strawberries
Research also shows that eating a serving of strawberries every day can help prevent dementia in overweight, middle-aged people.
The study, published in Nutrientsanalyzed how fruit consumption impacted the memory of people aged 50 to 65 who already had mild cognitive decline.
It was found that those who ate strawberries had better cognitive function, which could have been caused by less inflammation in the brain.
3. Have more sex
Sex may help protect against dementia by increasing blood flow to the brain, research shows.
The quality of sex and climax was most closely linked to mental sharpness in people aged 62 to 74, experts found.
Those over 75, on the other hand, benefited most from playing at least once a week.
4. Drink coffee
Coffee can help prevent the cause of Alzheimer’s development.
Espresso may prevent proteins linked to the disease from getting tangled up in the brain, the study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found.
The drink made the protein clumps non-toxic to brain cells, making them less likely to cause dementia, they said.
5. Dancing
Practicing dance has also been shown to be an effective way to protect against the condition of memory loss.
In addition to offering a fun way to exercise, remembering steps and the social element also helps stimulate the brain.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
