Health Japanese researchers develop blood test for early Alzheimer's detection

Researchers in Japan have confirmed that a blood test can accurately predict the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Professor Iwatsubo Takeshi from the University of Tokyo and his team published their findings in an international medical journal: Amyloid beta, an abnormal protein, is known to accumulate in the brains of Alzheimer's patients long before symptoms become apparent. At present, Alzheimer's is diagnosed using methods such as brain-imaging tests. The researchers analyzed blood samples from 474 individuals in Japan who had not developed the disease and compared the results to diagnoses obtained from brain imaging.

Scientists say they were able to predict amyloid status in the brain with high accuracy through blood analysis of two proteins -- amyloid beta and tau phosphorylated at threonine 217, or p-tau217. They say that by adding other information, such as the age of the individuals, the blood tests showed an accuracy rate of over 90 per cent in predicting amyloid buildup. Professor Iwatsubo said new Alzheimer's drugs have recently been approved for use in the early stages of the disease.

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I'm not sure if I would want to know that that's my future , UGH. According to internet spam , for only $29.95 , I can buy a pill to cure it. I had several patients with Alzheimer's and dementia. It's much harder on the persons loved ones who have to deal with it. The patients were almost all happy and content and unaware they had issues.

Grandpa Frank said:

The patients were almost all happy and content and unaware they had issues.

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That's the part I don't get. How can you not know? My mom is aware her mind "isn't what it used to be."
But we have had no frank discussions.
She probably doesn't want to admit it's as bad as it is, maybe afraid it will cause us to take her out of her house.

Usually I wasn't called in until the family couldn't deal with it without help. Many of my patients passed away just a few weeks after I started with them. I guess there were many reasons people didn't ask for help sooner. Saw a lot of pain and suffering and death in my 17 years of helping.

Grandpa Frank said:

Usually I wasn't called in until the family couldn't deal with it without help. Many of my patients passed away just a few weeks after I started with them. I guess there were many reasons people didn't ask for help sooner. Saw a lot of pain and suffering and death in my 17 years of helping.

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I just read this book, Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. Worth reading for anybody who may be faced with end of life scenarios (all of us).