Tiny drop of blood, considerable medical breakthrough

In recent years, billions of dollars have been spent on the fight against cancer. We know the importance and urgency of achieving this goal. We accept and support it. What we are less aware of and less engaged with is the equally vital need to find an effective treatment for another devastating disease: Alzheimer's disease. Each year, it kills more people than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. Several trials have failed to find drugs that prevent, reverse or slow down this disease. According to the Alzheimer's Association, a leading voluntary health organization that deals with the research and treatment of the disease, in 2019, the cost of health care for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias would reach 290 billion of dollars. If effective treatment or treatment is not found by 2050, these costs could reach up to $ 1.1 trillion. It is currently estimated at 5.8 million the number of Americans with Alzheimer's disease. Every 65 seconds, a person in the United States develops the disease. By the year 2050, this number is expected to reach nearly 14 million.

Last month at the International Alzheimer's Conference, good news about the disease was announced. Scientists have revealed that they are approaching a long-sought goal: a blood test to screen for possible signs of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. A small drop of blood may be sufficient to predict the onset of Alzheimer's disease and to improve care and preventative measures. It would be nothing less than revolutionary.

As reported in an Associated Press report, doctors desperately need to use something during routine exams during which dementia symptoms are assessed in order to effectively evaluate those who need more in-depth testing. At the conference, half a dozen research groups gave new results on experimental tests to provide such a means. A study published last year by Japanese researchers correctly identified 92% of people with Alzheimer's disease and correctly excluded 85% of people who had it. Its overall accuracy rate was 88%.

To date, dozens of hoped-for treatments have failed miserably in clinical studies. In part, it is thought that the problem is that people have been enrolled in the trials after suffering too much brain damage. In addition, too many subjects had health problems other than Alzheimer's disease. The diagnosis of this disease is usually based on the search for visible symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. At this stage, the disease is well developed. Doctors hope that a blood test will help the right people to participate more quickly in the studies. This simple test could provide people with an extremely necessary warning system decades before the onset of the disease.

It is assumed that blood tests will soon begin to be used to select and monitor individuals for federally-funded studies. Before we get too excited, we should also note that even on a fast track, such screening studies could last up to three years. Medical science remains uncertain as to how Alzheimer's disease begins and develops. Abnormal levels of some proteins seem to play an important role. At present, costly and invasive brain tests and complex extractions of cerebrospinal fluid are essential tools for measuring the levels of these proteins. Both procedures are too expensive, problematic and impractical for regular medical examinations.

These procedures also have other problems. Shortly after the making available of positron emission tomography (PET) tomography brain imaging in 2013, Medicare officials determined that they lacked evidence of its health benefits . As a result, Medicare does not cover the substantial costs of testing; and according to the Alzheimer's Association, private insurers do not do it either.

As the public increasingly understands that brain damage from Alzheimer's disease begins years before people develop symptoms, there is also concern that worried patients and their families are starting to turn to PET to see if they have these biomarkers. A poll by Associated Press last year revealed that most Americans would like to know if they carry a gene related to an even incurable disease.

Here's the thing: These indicator proteins or neural structures commonly occur in the elderly as a byproduct of aging. Everyone with them will not develop dementia. A negative PET scan also does not mean that someone will not develop dementia.

"If we start treating everyone with preclinical Alzheimer's disease, we will treat many patients who would never have suffered from dementia," said Dr. Kenneth Langa, a University researcher. from Michigan and author of a recent article on the diagnosis of early Alzheimer's disease, recently explained to the New York Times. "I hope we will think seriously about the unexpected inconveniences."

It is also undeniable that the two main drugs approved for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease have only modest benefits in some patients for a limited period. Neither drug has proven effective against mild cognitive impairment, often a precursor to dementia. A recently published study by Medicare shows that positive PET scans lead to much greater use of these drugs and other drugs, regardless of their limited or negligible benefit.

We can not let all the noise generated by this discussion make us lose sight of the hope that a tiny drop of blood would be enough to predict the onset of Alzheimer's disease and would be the way forward to improve care and preventive measures. Knowing that effective treatment is on the way can help trigger lifestyle changes in sleep, diet and exercise that may help reduce or prevent the onset of illness Alzheimer. At least one recent study shows the benefits of such changes.

As reported by Time magazine, scientists at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago followed nearly 2,500 people for nearly 10 years. They found that people who reported a healthier lifestyle overall – those who were on a low fat diet, did not smoke, exercised at least 150 minutes a week to Moderate to vigorous levels, drank with moderation, and participated in late cognitive activities – exhibited lower levels of Alzheimer's dementia. The more people adhered to healthy activities, the lower their risk. As we age, we should follow this prescription as if our lives depended on it.

Write to Chuck Norris with your questions about health and fitness. Follow Chuck Norris on his official social media sites, on Twitter @chucknorris and on the official Chuck Norris Facebook page. He blogs on ChuckNorrisNews.blogspot.com.