A saliva test may be effective in detecting the Alzheimer’s diseaseaccording to results of a study published in the medical journal Journal of Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers found that salivary molecules hold promise as biomarkers for reliable diagnoses of this neurodegenerative disease.
“Around the world, the development of valid and reliable biomarkers for the Alzheimer’s disease is considered the No. 1 priority for most national strategies. This is a necessary first step in designing prevention and early intervention studies,” explained Dr. Graham.
Early diagnosis for more effective treatment
Researchers at the Beaumont Research Institute in the United States carried out a study with 29 adults divided into three groups, 12 healthy adults, 9 with Alzheimer’s disease and 8 adults with mild cognitive impairment, a medical condition thought to frequently precede the development of dementia.
Once the specimens were collected, the researchers identified and precisely quantified 57 metabolites. Some of the variances observed in the biomarkers were significant. From their data, they were able to make predictions about the risks of developing the Alzheimer’s disease.
“We used metabolomics, a newer technique to study molecules involved in metabolism. Our goal was to find unique patterns of molecules in the saliva of our study participants that could be used to diagnose the disease of Alzheimer, in the early stages, when treatment is considered most effective Currently, treatments for Alzheimer’s Alzheimer’s disease are only initiated after a patient diagnosis and offer modest benefits,” explained Stewart Graham.
Read also:
Alzheimer’s disease: extra virgin olive oil would protect against dementia
Alzheimer’s: soon a prognosis 4 years before?
Omega-3s against Alzheimer’s disease
