Memory problems don’t usually appear overnight. Dementia often develops slowly, and changes in the brain can start many years before someone notices they are forgetting things more often.
That is why researchers are trying to find ways to spot the disease earlier. A new study now suggests that a simple blood test could help doctors see who may be at higher risk of dementia decades before symptoms begin.
Scientists say the test could reveal signs of dementia risk up to 25 years earlier.
A large study
The research was carried out by scientists at the University of California San Diego. They used data from a long-running project called the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study.
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The study followed 2,766 women over many years. When the research began in the late 1990s, the women were between 65 and 79 years old and none of them had memory problems.
Blood samples taken at the start of the study were later analysed to measure the level of a protein called p-tau217.
This protein has been linked to changes in the brain that are connected to Alzheimer’s disease.
What they discovered
Researchers followed the participants for up to 25 years to see who later developed dementia.
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They found that women who had higher levels of the p-tau217 protein in their blood were more likely to develop dementia later in life.
The study showed that:
- Higher levels of the protein were linked to a higher dementia risk
- The risk increased when the protein level was higher
- Age and genetics may also play a role
What it could mean
Experts believe blood tests like this could make it easier to detect dementia much earlier than today.
Because blood tests are simple and widely available, they could help doctors identify people at higher risk and monitor their health long before symptoms appear.
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Sources: Mirror
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