SOME ALZHEIMER’ S PATIENTS MAY SOON BE ABLE TO TRACK THEIR DISEASE BY USING BLOOD TESTS.

Johns Hopkins hospital last year announced its researchers developed a test that can improve chances for early detection and treatment of the disease, which affects about 7 million Americans.

“ In the last few years, several therapies have been developed to ease Alzheimer’ s symptoms and slow progression of the disease,” says neurologist Abhay Moghekar at Johns Hopkins.“ These are very helpful, but our ultimate goal is to prevent Alzheimer’ s disease, not treat it once you have it. This blood test is an early step in the path to prevention.”

The test has been approved by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration for people who are 55 and older and have been medically assessed as experiencing cognitive decline.

“ All of us have forgotten keys or misplaced glasses,” he says.“ But a medical assessment shows if a person has more than normal forgetfulness and if it affects their ability to function.”

Primary care physicians and other health care professionals can order the blood test. It measures two proteins in the blood and calculates a ratio of these proteins to determine of amyloid plaque

is present in the brain. Amyloid is a mis-folded protein that is an early sign of Alzheimer’ s disease. Patients with scores over the high end cutoff have more than a 90 % likelihood of having Alzheimer’ s, Johns Hopkins says.

The blood test alone doesn’ t mean someone has Alzheimer’ s. Doctors must interpret the test results along with other information such as medical history, family history, cognitive testing and medications

. They may recommend a patient see a neurologist, geriatrician or geriatric psychiatrist to determine if treatment for Alzheimer’ s is appropriate.

Before the blood test, Johns Hopkins says amyloid buildup could be detected through PET scans of the patient’ s brain or by analyzing cerebrospinal fluid. Both of these techniques can be stressful for patients, expensive and require specialized equipment. A genetic

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test can also help determine if a person is at high risk of developing Alzheimer’ s, but not whether they actually have it.

Moghekar says this test is just the beginning. Researchers are developing tests to detect tau, the protein tangles that indicate a more advanced stage of Alzheimer’ s. Along with this test, this could provide earlier, more definitive diagnoses, Moghekar says.