Trials focused on preventing and treating Alzheimer’s have been largely unsuccessful in the past, and researchers believe this is because the treatments start too late. New research from King’s College London has identified ten proteins that could serve as indicators of the onset of Alzheimer’s. Early indicators of the disease would help doctors begin treatment sooner.
The BBC reports that these tests were conducted in over 1,000 people, yielding 87% accuracy in predicting the start of dementia. Although these tests are too early to become mainstream, they provide hope in detecting and treating Alzheimer’s. Symptoms only show up about ten years after the disease has already started, making the blood test extremely beneficial for early diagnosis.
There are around 5.1 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s and that number is expected to triple by 2050. In addition to being an emotional and health burden on patients and their families, Alzheimer’s is a financial burden, costing around $215 billion each year.
