Alzheimer’s disease can be diagnosed years in advance, potentially gaining valuable time to mitigate patient decline. This is indicated by new research from Macquarie University in Sydney and the national scientific body CSIRO, which identified a relationship between a blood biomarker and the risk of cognitive impairment several years later. “Those with increased levels of the 2-HAA biomarker are 35 times more likely to progress to Alzheimer’s than those with normal levels,” writes Macquarie Medical School research leader David Lovejoy on the university’s website. The discovery, he adds, may pave the way for systematic screening and timely diagnosis. It can also lead to the development of a simple blood test instead of costly and complex diagnoses years later, giving patients time to take valuable measures and ward off the disease, he adds. In particular with the adoption of lifestyle changes, including a Mediterranean diet, at least half an hour of cardiovascular exercises a day, and reducing alcohol consumption. It is not yet known, however, whether lifestyle changes, while knowing that they reduce chronic inflammation, can reduce cognitive decline, ”says Lovejoy. And he concludes: “More research will be needed, but there are interesting possibilities.”
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