Alzheimer’s disease may soon be detected with a simple saliva test
Your saliva may just reveal whether or not you’re likely to suffer from the neurodegenerative disease
While there’s still no hard and fast cure for Alzheimer’s disease, those suffering from the condition can take comfort in the knowledge that scientists are inching closer to being able to predict who will develop the neurodegenerative disease that destroys the minds of millions around the world.
A long-term University of Alberta study presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Washington D.C. found that metabolites in salivary samples from 25 people with cognitive impairment, 35 people with normal aging conditions and 22 with Alzheimer’s disease may be able to discriminate normal aging from mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease, and can predict with about 80 percent accuracy whether a person will develop the condition.
“Saliva is very easy to collect and transport, which will enhance participation in remote centers and diverse populations,” Shraddha Sapkota, a neuroscience graduate student at the University of Alberta said in a news release from the Alzheimer’s Association.
Alzheimer’s is a disease that can start many years before the tell-tale symptoms of memory loss emerge. While the minimally invasive saliva test is in no way a solution, it is a medical breakthrough that will allow doctors to identify those at risk and determine how they should be treated.
The scientific study comes at a time when several developed nations are finding a heavy shift in numbers toward older populations, and it is estimated that 44 million people suffer from the progressive brain disorder worldwide, with the numbers expected to increase with each passing year
Karen George
Photo: Shutterstock
