The Importance of Early Detection for Alzheimer’s and Dementia

The sooner Alzheimer’s and other similar conditions are found, the better the treatment options will be, and scientists discovered a blood biomarker that could indicate dementia risk years ago.

Groundbreaking Research on Dementia Risk

A team from the National Institute on Aging, the University of Texas, and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the United States, as well as other institutions around the world, studied data on 10,981 people collected over 25 years.

In particular, the researchers analyzed the proteome of these individuals: the complete set of proteins expressed in the body that control all kinds of biological processes from cellular communication to the level of hormones.

The analysis identified 32 proteins that, at unusually high or low levels in the blood of people aged 45 to 60, were associated with an increased risk of developing dementia later in life.

“The current study used data from multiple cohorts to identify and characterize 32 proteins and 4 protein networks in the plasma of middle-aged adults that were strongly associated with dementia risk in later decades,” the researchers wrote in their published paper.

Dementia is not Solely a Brain Disorder

Interestingly, many proteins were not directly involved in the functioning of the brain. This confirms previous research showing that the onset of dementia and its underlying triggers do not occur exclusively in the brain.

Several of the identified proteins are associated with healthy proteome regulation. This process helps prevent the formation of protein clumps in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Other proteins have played key roles in the immune system, perhaps indicating that there is something in an overreaction or malfunction of the immune system that increases the likelihood that dementia will begin to spread in the brain.

Blood Testing for Dementia Risk

There is still a long way to go in this study, but we may eventually come to the conclusion that blood can be tested for signs of dementia risk. If these signs are detected at an early stage, individual treatment can be prescribed.

Moreover, one day we may fully understand how conditions like Alzheimer’s disease begin, and this discovery may come from observing abnormalities outside the brain.

“We’re seeing active participation in peripheral biology decades before the typical onset of dementia,” neuroscientist Kenan Walker of the National Institute on Aging told Nature.

Conclusion

The study on the blood biomarker for dementia risk is a significant breakthrough in the field of Alzheimer’s research. Early detection of dementia can lead to more effective treatment options and potentially prevent or delay the onset of symptoms. As scientists continue to delve deeper into the mechanisms of dementia, we may gain a better understanding of the disease and find innovative ways to diagnose and treat it.

The study was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Source: Science Alert