A new blood test could help identify Alzheimer’s disease in its early stages, British researchers said last night.
The test would detect ten proteins in the blood, according to the researchers at King’s College, London.
They say an effective test might ensure patients could begin treatments for Alzheimer’s disease earlier than usual – improving prospects of staving off the disease.
The test has been developed by analysing samples from 1,148 people, of whom 476 had Alzheimer’s disease and another 220 with mild cognitive impairment.
They studied 26 proteins linked to the disease and found ten that together predicted whether people with cognitive impairment developed Alzheimer’s.
The research suggests the test could be 87% accurate.
Researcher Dr Abdul Hye, of King’s College, London, said: "There are thousands of proteins in the blood, and this study is the culmination of many years’ work identifying which ones are clinically relevant. We now have a set of ten proteins that can predict whether someone with early symptoms of memory loss, or mild cognitive impairment, will develop Alzheimer’s disease within a year, with a high level of accuracy."
Fellow researcher Professor Simon Lovestone, of Oxford University, UK, said: "A simple blood test could help us identify patients at a much earlier stage to take part in new trials and hopefully develop treatments which could prevent the progression of the disease."
Alzheimer’s Research UK director of research Dr Eric Karran said the research was "important."
He said: "With an ageing population, and age the biggest risk factor for Alzheimer’s, we are expecting rising numbers of people to be affected over the coming years. It’s important to develop new ways to intervene early in the disease to help people maintain their quality of life for as long as possible."
Hye, A. et al. Plasma proteins predict conversion to dementia from prodromal disease. Alzheimer’s and Dementia 7 July 2014
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