Comments
TrinkieTrinkie522cat t1_j1xkjvu wrote
As always, the key word is "could" not will.
lurq_king t1_j1xfx84 wrote
> meaning therapies could be initiated earlier
Would be helpful if this could also be cheaper.
resorcinarene t1_j1xm45d wrote
Eventually. R&D costs money
TwentyCharactersShor t1_j1zcdvq wrote
Would be helpful if we had meaningful therapies.
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987nevertry t1_j1xgs3k wrote
If, in the future, I am going to have an incurable deadly disease for which there is no treatment, I think the quality of my life is better without this knowledge.
wetgear t1_j1xvsfz wrote
You'll eventually know either way, at least you get to plan ahead more with an earlier diagnosis minimizing the potential for hurting yourself or others. That's not the main point though, this can be used to check if treatments are working at slowing the disease or not.
987nevertry t1_j1xxwv8 wrote
I dunno. From my experience with my mother I would say that the effects of the disease begin to render themselves apparent in plenty of time for all appropriate arrangements to be made.
lotsofsyrup t1_j1ybv55 wrote
The point is right now the doctor has to just guess whether it's Alzheimer's or something else unless they can do expensive imaging tests and a spinal tap with expensive testing on the spinal fluid at a reference lab. An antibody test on blood would be way cheaper and easier to do at scale and allow earlier and more confident treatment to more people. This will become more important as treatment improves over time (hopefully).
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Jazzlike-Emu-9235 t1_j1yzni5 wrote
Many people go "dementia they must have Alzheimer's" while that's pretty commonly true it isn't how it works. Dementia is merely a symptom but dementia has many other causes. It can be beneficial to make sure the symptoms are from Alzheimer's and not something else to ensure proper treatment. Plus I see this as one more step to understanding Alzheimer's since we scarily don't really know much yet it's about 1 in 5 will get it depending on how long they live and such. If we can understand the disease we can find better ways to treat it since treatment currently doesn't really do anything. The scary thing about Alzheimer's too is that for treatment to really make a difference on someone's life you need to start it as soon as the disease starts which is decades before others observe it's happening. We only realize the person has Alzheimer's when it's in a progressed state. In reality the disease probably started as early as their 30s and 40s and people just thought "you start forgetting as you age" which is true but it's also an early sign of the disease. So for me I know Alzheimer's runs in my family. Almost all of my grandmas 16 siblings got Alzheimer's. If I can get tested every other year starting at 30 or when I start noticing a decline in my memory I can get the treatment we currently have and prolong how long it'll be until the symptoms affect my every day life.
wetgear t1_j1yxadu wrote
It's good that your mother had the support structure of other folks to notice the changes, not everyone is so lucky.
fartbox_mcgilicudy t1_j1xywhj wrote
Think of it this way, if we come up with a drug that we think helps limit the effects of alzheimers then we can test it on those who we know will have alzheimers. Over time we will have our answer clearly. That's huge in the scientific world. To have an actual population that we know will have the disease as opposed to just guessing in the dark is very important. We are finally limiting error in testing in this terrible disease.
cattledogcatnip t1_j1zx1zy wrote
Yep! Ignorance is blisss
ellipsisslipsin t1_j20ltd1 wrote
There are actually some medications that can slow down the progress/help maintain a certain level of cognitive functioning for longer. So early diagnosis is actually really important. If you have early onset Alzheimer's, it may not make that much of a difference, but, let's say you're 80 when you start to show symptoms, depending on how physically healthy you are there's a chance that starting meds right away could delay the worst effects until after you die a natural death.
987nevertry t1_j20sb16 wrote
Thank you! Good to know.
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ryan7251 t1_j1yp11k wrote
I would like to know before hand so i can plan my life around it namely buying a gun to end it all once the symptoms start.
Twiggo89 t1_j206c6x wrote
Dad had it and that is pretty much my plan in case I get it.
cattledogcatnip t1_j1zwxjm wrote
Life insurance won’t pay out to your loved ones if you die by suicide
ryan7251 t1_j209yv9 wrote
To poor for life insurance
[deleted] t1_j20mvvn wrote
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ellipsisslipsin t1_j20lewh wrote
That actually isn't true in many cases. They usually have a waiting period (like you have to have had it for a year or two), but they will pay out for suicide. You just can't go by life insurance and then commit suicide the next day.
https://www.annuityexpertadvice.com/life-insurance-pay-suicidal-death/
cattledogcatnip t1_j20llqj wrote
My own life insurance (two separate policies) specifically excludes suicide. My fiancés policy does the same.
HellaTroi t1_j1xg9vr wrote
If they dont know what causes it, how can they test for it?
NotReallyFamous5 t1_j1xhri2 wrote
Confirmed cases all having the same biological markers? (Not a scientist btw)
TheVisageofSloth t1_j1y11et wrote
The problem with that is Alzheimer’s doesn’t really have something simple like that. For instance, you can’t say they have Alzheimer’s even if they have the elevated markers and brain decay if they don’t have symptoms. There are many cases where they should have symptoms, but don’t. Other cases where they have symptoms but no markers are present. That’s why it’s so hard to diagnose and make treatments for Alzheimer’s as the things we think are connected don’t seem to be the only factors.
sloppyredditor t1_j1xjp4z wrote
They’re checking for a specific protein that’s indicative of an onset. If found (and a blood draw is much easier and cheaper than scans) they can start preventive treatment sooner.
GETitOFFmeNOW t1_j1xoe4z wrote
Preventative treatment - like what?
sloppyredditor t1_j1xu2h6 wrote
Trials are in progress to slow it - not sure about prevention yet but if you can increase the timeline of Alzheimer’s or dementia impact by 1/3 or 2/3, trust me… it’s worth it.
FlashMadalyn t1_j1zi06j wrote
Aalzheimers is largely lifestyle related. Studies have shown that exercise can help prevent MCI from developing into full on dementia. Obviously, we don't know in those cases if Alzheimers specifically was avoided, but it stands to reason.
Diet is also a huge factor. A revised diet might prevent or at least delay onset.
GETitOFFmeNOW t1_j1zpnoe wrote
I've been reading about a lowercase diet for Alzheimer's where the key factor is decreasing brain insulin resistance. Re: type 3 diabetes.
FlashMadalyn t1_j20ae0b wrote
Ya I've been hearing about that for some time.
What I think is likely more impactful is lowering saturated fat for people with the Alzheimers gene (Apoe4) -- the highest sf consumers are 1100% more likely to develop dementia than the lowest sf consumers (among Apoe4s)
GETitOFFmeNOW t1_j20dj2f wrote
It's not the fat, it's the excess carbs, which become too much glucose that causes the brain to be insulin resistant.
Saturated fats can be really good for you, especially if they contain medium chain fatty acids which creates ketones without being in ketosis. If your brain can't take up glucose properly, feeding it ketones will keep it going. It works so well it can have a huge impact on epilepsy and c ommin brain fog.
Check out this 2002 article from Gary Taubes in The NYT magazine. He makes some points that still stand 20 years later.
I gather you've been to Google Scholar and read up on the abandoned type- 3 diabetes data? It's eye-opening. The AMA seems completely uninterrsted in non-pharmaceutical remedies.
FlashMadalyn t1_j20dt08 wrote
Um it's definitely the saturated fat. I've got the study I can link it later. Apoe4s have different lipid metabolism.
GETitOFFmeNOW t1_j20fsrk wrote
Yes, we take a much longer time to get into ketosis than people without the APOE4. An issue with low liver production of certain enzyme.
Apprehensive_Sun1849 t1_j1xqhmg wrote
I am not an expert in any way, but aren't there medications that slow progression, especially if started early?
Admirable_Savings_63 t1_j1z0a7e wrote
Alzheimer and dementia are cardiovascular diseases. ED (erectile dysfunction) is also a cardiovascular disfunction, and also refered to as the "canary in the coal mine" pertaining to bigger cardiovascular issues in men. The arteries of the penis and brain are so tiny they are usually affected first. The trouble with preventing/reversing ED and dementia is a complete overhaul of diet which most people won't do. Check out the video for the science.
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-to-prevent-alzheimers-with-diet/
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cattledogcatnip t1_j1zx8j4 wrote
There is zero treatment for Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
sloppyredditor t1_j204nwu wrote
There are trials under way to address this. The way it's been discovered is often too late in the process and costly, so insurance companies screw with the process. Blood draws are much easier on their wallet and give a good idea if further testing should be performed.
cattledogcatnip t1_j204vf8 wrote
The majority of clinical trials fail to get approval from the FDA. There is currently NO proven treatment for Alzheimer’s and dementia.
sloppyredditor t1_j20agee wrote
*looks at comment history*
I can't tell if you're trying really hard to argue with me over a pedantic misrepresentation of my initial comment, or just being your generally negative self, but...you win. Congrats.
lotsofsyrup t1_j1yc3ph wrote
Because we know certain things appear when it is present. Think of a smoke detector, you have that to tell you there's a fire even though what it actually detects is smoke. Your smoke detector still works even if the smoke detector can't tell what made the smoke.
ill_effexor t1_j1xz4lt wrote
This mixed with the medication that basically halts the disease if you catch it early will save the lives and minds of thousands of people.
To many nay sayers in this thread.
cattledogcatnip t1_j1zxf14 wrote
There is no medication that halts the disease, at any stage.
ill_effexor t1_j2133v8 wrote
It was just on /r/science the other day.
Minezenroll t1_j1ya107 wrote
This is incredible news!
A blood test for Alzheimer's disease could revolutionize the way we diagnose and treat this devastating condition. This could lead to earlier diagnosis, better treatment, and the potential to slow or even stop the progress of the disease. It's an exciting development, and I can't wait to see how it will improve the lives of people living with Alzheimer's.
garysaidwhat t1_j1yztxi wrote
"Scientists develop blood test for Alzheimer’s disease"
Correction:
"Scientists hope they have developed a blood test for Alzheimer’s disease"
k3surfacer t1_j1yqebt wrote
That's very interesting. Does the test work in very early stage of the disease too?
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sanjsrik t1_j1y12c0 wrote
But forgot where they left it?
crawthumper t1_j1y8cy0 wrote
This is good news. Now only if we can develop better treatments for it, then early knowledge can be very useful.
expo1001 t1_j20gsry wrote
Research "proving" beta-amyloid plaques as a cause of Alzheimer's Disease were faked and the results called in to question earlier this year.
​
This technique may or may not be relevant for detecting Alzheimer's, as it is based upon suspect science.
​
​
https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/faked-beta-amyloid-data-what-does-it-mean
Chiperoni t1_j20l596 wrote
This isn’t based on amyloid beta…
grab-n-g0 OP t1_j1xe5c5 wrote
>Scientists have developed a blood test to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease without the need for expensive brain imaging or a painful lumbar puncture, where a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is drawn from the lower back.
>
>Although current blood tests can accurately detect abnormalities in amyloid and tau proteins, detecting markers of nerve cell damage that are specific to the brain has been harder. Karikari and his colleagues around the world focused on developing an antibody-based blood test that would detect a particular form of tau protein called brain-derived tau, which is specific to Alzheimer’s disease.
>
>If validated, the test could enable faster diagnosis of the disease, meaning therapies could be initiated earlier.
Article: Brain-derived tau: a novel blood-based biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease-type neurodegeneration https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awac407