Researchers could soon formulate a blood test that helps with early Alzheimer's diagnosis

Researchers could soon formulate a blood test that helps with early Alzheimer's diagnosis
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Researchers have discovered 10 proteins in blood that might be able to predict Alzheimer's, and even form the basis for a blood test that could diagnose the disease before symptoms start.

In a study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, researchers from King's College London were able to accurately predict Alzheimer's disease nearly nine times out of 10. More than 1,100 people participated in the study, and researchers found that 16 of the 26 proteins associated with Alzheimer's were closely tied to the brain shrinkage found in a person with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's. Researchers ran more tests, and found that 10 proteins could be markers that mild cognitive impairment will develop into Alzheimer's.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.