Researchers: Predicting Dementia 10 Years Before Onset May Be Possible

British and Chinese researchers announced on Monday that a study of frozen blood samples has revealed a set of proteins that may predict several types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s, more than 10 years before the disease is diagnosed. This study, published in the journal 'Nature Aging', is part of ongoing research by several teams of specialists who can predict future cases of the disease using a simple blood test. Scientists believe this study represents a breakthrough that will accelerate the development of dementia treatment methods. Specialists can now detect abnormal levels of a protein called beta-amyloid in the brain years before Alzheimer’s occurs, but these tests are expensive and often not covered by health insurance. Dr. Susan Schindler, an Alzheimer’s researcher at Washington University in St. Louis, USA, who did not participate in the research, stated, 'Based on this study, it is likely that a specific type of blood test could predict the risk of dementia in the next 10 years.' One of the authors of the study, Jian Feng Feng from Fudan University in Shanghai, noted that such a test is very important in countries with a higher elderly population, like China. He mentioned that he is currently negotiating to commercialize the type of test developed from this research. In this study, researchers from the University of Warwick in the UK and Fudan University examined nearly 53,000 frozen blood samples stored in the UK Biobank research facility, collected from individuals who showed no signs of dementia between 2006 and 2010. Of this number, 1,417 eventually developed Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, or dementia from other causes. The researchers identified 1,463 dementia-related proteins in this study and ranked them based on the likelihood of developing the disease. They found that individuals with higher levels of the proteins 'GFAP', 'NEFL', 'GDF15', and 'LTBP2' are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, or dementia for any reason. The likelihood of developing dementia in individuals with high 'GFAP' levels was two and a half times greater. The authors of this research noted that their findings have not been independently verified.