Posted on 03/09/2014 9:18:45 PM PDT by neverdem
The simple blood test could give early warning within three years
The test could speed the search for new drugs that delay or prevent disease
Experts are pleased, but it could bring health concerns if no cure is found
A simple blood test has been developed that gives healthy elderly people precious early warning they may get Alzheimer’s within the next three years.
It is hoped the test, the first to predict accurately who will become ill, could speed the search for new drugs that can delay or even prevent the devastating brain disease.
It could eventually lead to widespread screening in middle-age to identify those most at risk and give them greater warning...
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
I can find links (Science Daily) to show the opposite. The brain needs cholesterol to function.
Substantial evidence has accumulated in support of the hypothesis that elevated cholesterol levels increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). As a result, much work has been done investigating the potential use of lipid-lowering agents (LLAs), particularly statins, as preventive or therapeutic agents for AD. While epidemiology and preclinical statin research (described in Part 1 of this review) have generally supported an adverse role of high cholesterol regarding AD, human studies of statins (reviewed here) show highly variable outcomes, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3248784/
Plenty of cholesterol is available to the CNS even with a max dosage of statins!
We haven't seen the final word on these studies, though.
My heartfelt sympathy goes out to you for what you’re dealing with.I think you’ve got it exactly right: no testing for Alzheimer’s until there’s an effective treatment or path to prevention.
Just in time for Obama’s Death Panels to deny you coverage for any subsequent illness:
“Tests indicate a 85% chance of dementia for patient. Coverage for cancer treatment is denied.”
The jury is out, guess one has to research and draw their own conclusions.
There has been a test in Nuclear Medicine that can find Alzheimer’s at an early stage and has been for years. However, Medicare refuses to fund it since there’s no cure for it.
In other words, why look for it if there’s nothing we can do about it?
I’d advise those with a family history to pay for the test out of pocket. You might not be able to do anything about the disease itself, but at least it can be helpful in planning your life.
By the way, do it under a fake name. This way, the insurance companies won’t find out.
Thanks for your perspective. I also would be hesitant to tell someone that was my prediction for them. Some would bring the disease on faster just by stressing over it. A self fullfilling prophecy.
That’s what I think; good circulation maintains a better level of health. Condolezza Rice said her fathers health plummeted when he stopped working out or exercising following the death of his wife.
One of my uncles (70) was recently tested. He’s clear but he had planned to kill himself if the results said he would get alzheiemrs. My youngest uncle is 63 and is in an advanced stage in a nursing home.
We will have long forgotten about this drug by the time the FDA allows it’s use.
Pun intended.
bkmk
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