Swedish scientists have isolated two proteins that identify people who will be diagnosed with dementia within four years and are experimenting with a blood test that is 89% accurate.
KTRH medical expert Dr. Joe Galati finds it an encouraging development. “Why do we want to find out earlier if there really is no cure?” he asks rhetorically, calling that a defeatist attitude. “It’s one of those diseases that we’re going to have to keep trudging along trying to find that major breakthrough in one form or another, and we shouldn’t shy away just because we don’t have great therapies.”
Which poses the question, if it were possible to test for Alzheimer’s and there was no treatment or cure, would you want to know? Dr. Galati says it would be worth knowing. “Any time we are able to move the ball forward on any disease it’s optimistic, because this breakthrough may lead to an even bigger breakthrough.”
In 2020 there are over 50 million people who have dementia, presumably Alzheimer’s. That number at least doubles every 20 years. Within the next decade the figure will rise to 82 million.
photo: Getty Images