In Brief A new blood test can detect buildups of beta-amyloid in the brain, the plaques that signal the development of Alzheimers disease. This test could mean earlier detection of the disease and more effective lifestyle interventions for patients. Early Detection

A new blood test has been found to be able to detect buildups of beta-amyloid in the brain, the cause of the plaques that characterize the development of Alzheimers disease. Although the role that these clumps of beta-amyloid play in the brains of Alzheimers patients is unknown, monitoring their presence has been a reliable way to watch for the disease. Unfortunately, watching for the build-up of these plaques in the brain has only been possible through PET-scans, which are expensive and not widely available, or with spinal tap procedures, which are invasive and can only be administered by a, relatively, select few practitioners.

In this new study, researchers have developed a simple blood test to screen for Alzheimers risk that anyone from general practitioners to nurses in clinics could use. This simple to administer screening would be able to identify thousands of at-risk patients, allowing them to start treatment before brain damage and irreversible memory loss occurs. In fact, with this kind of basic screening tool, monitoring for Alzheimers disease could be as widespread and quick as checking your cholesterol and blood sugar.

Although there is not yet any silver bullet treatment for Alzheimers disease, there are promising treatments on the horizon some that reverse symptoms, and others that slow the progression of the disease. However, the most important way to fight Alzheimers right now is through prevention. As scientists study why some brains resist the disease more than others and how we might prevent the disease entirely, evidence shows that lifestyle interventions including healthy diet and exercise can reduce the risk of Alzheimers disease by as much as 30 percent. Earlier detection with a blood test would make lifestyle interventions more effective.

Beta-amyloid plaques begin to accumulate 15 to 20 years before a person exhibits the symptoms of Alzheimers disease. Positive test results wouldnt guarantee that a patient would develop the disease, but they would signal possible risk while suggesting a need for lifestyle changes.

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New Test Allows For Easier and Earlier Detection of Alzheimer's - Futurism