Blood test could predict Alzheimer's disease 4 years before symptoms begin
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Alzheimer's disease, named after Alois Alzheimer, the doctor who first described it, is a progressive disease which damages the brain more and more as it continues.
A blood test that diagnoses Alzheimer's at least four years before symptoms begin could soon be available.
This is a leap for the field that could make it much easier for people to learn whether they have dementia. The breakthrough offers hope of prescribing medications - or lifestyle changes - when they are most likely to work.
Alzheimer's disease, named after Alois Alzheimer, the doctor who first described it, is a progressive disease which damages the brain more and more as it continues.
Worldwide, at least 50 million people are believed to be living with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias. According to the United Nations, that is more than the population of Columbia. If breakthroughs are not discovered, rates could exceed 152 million by 2050.
Researchers say blood tests to detect levels of the two molecules could allow doctors to track the progression of Alzheimer's disease progression in at-risk populations.
(With inputs from agencies)