Dementia: Blood-based markers may help spot dementia risk, says new study
Dementia is an umbrella term for groups of symptoms that surface as a result of progressive brain decline. Much is still to be understood about dementia but research has made considerable headway. The focus is primarily on early intervention – if dementia risk can be highlighted ahead of time – it offers a window to bolster the brain’s defences against developing it.
Dr Sara Imarisio, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Like dementia, MCI is an umbrella term describing several symptoms, and can be caused by a number of different underlying diseases. We know that over 50% of people with MCI will go on to develop dementia, and it is important that we try to identify those who will and those who will not progress to be able to offer appropriate treatment and advice.
“Blood tests for predicting the risk of Alzheimer’s disease are getting ever more advanced. In this well-designed study, levels of a form of tau coupled with a protein indicating neurodegeneration were able to predict who developed more severe memory and thinking problems. However, further studies in larger groups of people will need to replicate and verify the accuracy of this approach.
“One intriguing finding is that these markers predicted a change in memory in thinking in both people with and without the Alzheimer’s risk gene, APOE4. Genetic testing can present ethical challenges, especially as it can have implications for a patient’s family members. A blood test that does not need a genetic test would be most beneficial in the clinic.
“While there are other types of biological test that can help determine the cause and likely course of memory and thinking problems, blood tests are much more affordable than brain scans and more straightforward and acceptable to people than a lumbar puncture.
