A blood test may predict the risk of dementia in women 25 years earlier, a study has found
A new blood test can identify a The risk of dementia in women As early as 25 years before symptoms appear.
That’s according to new research from the University of California San Diego, which found that a specific biomarker protein linked to the early pathological processes of Alzheimer’s disease was “strongly associated” with the risk of developing dementia in the future.
The researchers analyzed blood samples from 2,766 participants in the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study in the late 1990s, according to the study’s press release.
The women’s ages ranged between 65 and 79 years and did not show any signs Cognitive decline At the beginning of the study.
After tracking participants for up to 25 years, the researchers concluded that the biomarker phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217) was “strongly associated” with future mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
A new blood test can determine a woman’s risk of developing dementia 25 years before symptoms appear. (Istock)
Women who had higher levels of p-tau217 at the start of the study were “more likely” to develop the disease. The results were published today in JAMA Network Open.
“The main takeaway is that our study suggests that it may be possible to detect dementia risk two decades earlier using a simple blood test in Older women“,” first author Alaeddin Shadyab, associate professor of public health and medicine at the University of California, San Diego, told Fox News Digital.
“These biomarkers may help us identify people at highest risk and develop strategies to delay or prevent dementia.”
He added: “Our findings show that the blood biomarker p-tau217 can help identify individuals at high risk of developing dementia long before symptoms begin.”
This longer lead time could open the door to it earlier Prevention strategies And more targeted monitoring, rather than waiting until memory problems have already affected daily life, according to Shadyab.
A specific biomarker protein associated with early pathological processes of Alzheimer’s disease was “strongly associated” with the risk of developing dementia in the future. (Istock)
“As research progresses, these biomarkers may help us identify people at highest risk and develop strategies to delay or prevent dementia,” he said.
However, this risk relationship was not the same across the board. Women over the age of 70 with higher levels of p-tau217 had “poorer cognitive outcomes” compared to those under 70, as did those with the APOE ε4 gene, a known risk factor for diabetes. Alzheimer’s disease.
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The study also found that p-tau217 was a stronger predictor of dementia in women who were randomly assigned to receive estrogen-progestin therapy than in those who received a placebo.
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Lead author Linda K. said: “Blood-based biomarkers like p-tau217 are particularly promising because they are much less invasive and perhaps more accessible than brain imaging or spinal fluid tests,” McEvoy, a senior research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Health Research Institute in Washington and a professor emeritus at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, said in the statement.
“Blood-based biomarkers such as p-tau217 are particularly promising because they are much less invasive and perhaps more accessible than brain imaging or spinal fluid tests,” one of the researchers said. (Istock)
“This is important to Accelerate research “To investigate the factors that influence the risk of developing dementia and to evaluate strategies that may reduce the risk.”
Shadyab noted that blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease are still being studied and routine screening is not recommended for people without symptoms.
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More research is needed before this approach can be considered for clinical use before cognitive symptoms appear.
Future studies should look at how other factors – such as genetics, hormone treatment and age-related factors – influence it Medical conditions The researchers added – it may interact with plasma p-tau217.
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“The study only examined older women, so the results may not necessarily apply to men or younger populations,” Shadyab noted. “We also examined overall dementia outcomes rather than specific subtypes such as Alzheimer’s disease.”
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