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Scientists are on the cusp of achieving a long-sought goal: a blood test to identify possible signs of Alzheimer's disease and other brain diseases.
This is what a recent large-scale study shows that healthy behavior can reduce the risk of developing such conditions in a person, even if they have genes that increase this risk.
At the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on July 15, six research groups presented new results on several experimental tests. That included the one that seems to be 88 percent specific to identify the risk of Alzheimer's.
Doctors hope to have something to use during ordinary tests that can measure most signs of diseases that destroy the brain. They could make better decisions about which patients need additional tests. Current tools such as the brain scans and spinal Fluid testing is too expensive or difficult to perform in regular patient meetings.
"We need something faster … it does not have to be perfect" to be helpful, said Maria Carrillo, scientific lead for the Alzheimer's Association.
Richard Hodes is director of the National Institute on Aging. He described the new results as "very promising". He said blood tests would soon be used to select and observe people for federally supported studies.
"It happened … much faster than we would have imagined," he told The Associated Press.
It can not happen too soon for patients like Tom Doyle, 66 years old. The former professor at the University of Chicago had his first memory problems four years ago. He has had two cerebrospinal fluid tests since then.
He was first told that he did not have Alzheimer's disease. Later, he was told that he had it. Over time, doctors discovered that Doyle was suffering from various diseases related to dementia – Lewy body and Parkinson's disease.
"They probably could have diagnostic Years ago accurately they had had a blood test, "said Doyle. He represents patients on the Alzheimer's Association management team.
About 50 million people in the world suffer from a brain disease called dementia. Alzheimer's is the most common type. There is no cure. Current medications temporarily mitigate its harmful effects. Many of the hoped-for treatments have failed. Doctors believe that previous studies may have included people too late, while brain damage was already severe. The experts also said that the research may have included too many people with problems other than Alzheimer's.
A blood test – rather than subjective thinking skills estimates – could get the right people to the right studies sooner.
One of the experimental blood tests measures unusual types of proteins that form plate in the brain. Plaque is a major sign of Alzheimer's disease. Last year, Japanese researchers published a study on this subject. At the conference, they presented additional test results on 201 people with Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia.
Akinori Nakamura is part of the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology of Obu, Japan. He added that the test correctly identified 92% of people with Alzheimer's disease and 85% of those who did not.
Another experimental test focuses on the light of neurofilaments, a protein that is a marker of nerve damage. Abdul Hye of King's College London presented the results of a study comparing blood levels of 2,300 people with different brain diseases, including dementia, depression, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis. The study also included healthy people for comparison purposes.
Eight diseases were linked to much higher levels of neurofilament light. The test can not show what trouble any one might have. But this can help them eliminate the troubles in a patient.
Randall Bateman, from the University of Washington School of Medicine in St. Louis, also helped develop a blood test to measure Alzheimer's protein. His work is supported by the United States Government and the Alzheimer's Association.
"Everyone finds the same thing … the results are remarkably similar from one country to another, from one technique to another," said Bateman. He believes that a test could be in three years.
Recent advances in the treatment of conditions such as Alzheimer's disease have not been limited to treatment.
Researchers at the conference also presented a new study on the prevention of these diseases. The study was also published in the journal Scientific Journal of the American Medical Association.
He showed that people at high genetic risk and in poor health habits were about three times more likely to develop dementia than those with low genetic risk and good habits. And, whatever the level of genetic risk, good nutrition, regular exercise, limited alcohol consumption, and the absence of tobacco reduce the risk of dementia.
Elzbieta Kuzma and her team at the University of Exeter Medical School in England used the British biobank to study nearly 200,000 people aged 60 or older without any signs of dementia. Subjects have been identified as having a high, medium or low risk of dementia based on genetic factors. mutations. The subjects of the study were also grouped by way of life factors.
After about eight years of observation, 1.8% of people with high genetic risk and unhealthy behavior developed dementia. Just over half of people with low genetic risk and healthy habits had the disease.
John Haaga of the National Institute on Aging said the results of the study were good news.
"No one can guarantee that you will escape this … disease," but healthy living can improve your chances, Haaga said.
One of the limitations of the study is that researchers only had information on mutations affecting people of European descent.
The results should lessen the fears that gene mutations alone decide the health of his brain, said Rudy Tanzi, a genetic expert at Mbadachusetts General Hospital. Less than 5% of Alzheimer's disease-related mutations are "completely penetrating", which means they guarantee the person contracted the disease, he said.
"It means that with 95% of the changes, your lifestyle will make the difference," Tanzi said. "Do not worry too much about your genetics. Spend more time thinking about leading a healthy life. "
I am Dorothy Gundy.
And I'm Pete Musto.
Pete Musto adapted this story for VOA Learning English with the help of materials provided by the Associated Press. Caty Weaver was the publisher. We want your news. What other advances do you hope to achieve in the fight against the brain and other diseases? Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page.
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Words in this story
specific – adj. free from errors or errors
ordinary – adv. happens at times that are also separated
scanning(s) – not. the act or the process of using a special machine to see the inside of something like a part of the body
spinal – adj. of, concerning, or affecting the line of bones connected to the middle of the back
diagnose(re) – v. recognize a disease or illness in someone's
subjective – adj. based on feelings or opinions rather than facts
plate – not. a change in brain tissue that occurs in Alzheimer's disease
habit(s) – not. a usual way to behave
mutation(s) – not. a change in the genes of a plant or animal that causes different physical characteristics from normal ones
postman(s) – not. something that helps to produce or influence a result
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