Research offers unprecedented hope in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, the most widespread form of dementia in the world. A blood test may be able to reveal the onset of the disease up to 15 years before the onset of symptoms.
All this would be possible by recognizing the levels of the p-tau217 protein, a real indicator of the changes that occur in the brain during Alzheimer’s. The study was conducted on 786 people by the University of Gothenburg (Sweden) and showed that, by testing the levels of this protein through blood tests, scientists were able to classify Alzheimer’s risk precisely: the higher the the levels of p-tau217 protein in the blood, the more likely or advanced the disease was. Researchers at University College London then implemented the study, finding that the test could detect Alzheimer’s up to 15 years before symptoms appear.
New screening possibility for over 50s
For David Curtis, honorary professor of the Ucl Genetics Institute, the discovery represents a possible revolution for the early diagnosis of the pathology: “Everyone over 50 could be subjected to routine screening every few years, more or less like now they are tested regularly for high cholesterol,” he explains.
“This particular test has huge potential to revolutionize diagnosis in people with suspected Alzheimer’s disease,” added Sheona Scales, Research Director at Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Currently, the only methods to recognize brain accumulation of the protein linked to Alzheimer’s are lumbar punctures or imaging technologies, which are however available in a very limited number of facilities. The blood test, according to scientists, “can detect signs of Alzheimer’s with the same accuracy as more invasive and expensive tests”.