Researchers have discovered and validated a blood test that
can predict with greater than 90 percent accuracy if a healthy person will
develop mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease within three years.
Described in the April issue of Nature Medicine, the study
heralds the potential for developing treatment strategies for Alzheimer’s at an
earlier stage, when therapy would be more effective at slowing or preventing
onset of symptoms. It is the first known published report of blood-based
biomarkers for preclinical Alzheimer’s.