Greensboro's African American Community Newspaper since 1967
The world of medicine is a wonder rooted in health and science. Recent new and innovative tests have given the world time, efficiency, and hope.
One of the most dreaded health conditions is losing one’s essence. That is the peculiar quirks and stumbles that distinctly make us who we are. The diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating disease.
One of the most challenging problems has been how to diagnose someone with the disease. Until recently, there was no actual diagnostic test to confirm Alzheimer’s in a living person. A physical examination that includes how a person performs on cognitive tests has been the primary way of determining the disease. The problem has been the accuracy of these tests.
Yes, some X-rays can determine the likelihood of developing the disease. Still, here again, we have seen people who have horrible-looking X-rays with little symptoms and people with mild changes on their brain X-rays who developed Alzheimer’s with horrible cognitive disease.
Now, researchers in Sweden have developed a new blood test that is much more accurate in diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease.
I see the test development as a sign of giving some finality to families who wonder whether their loved one has Alzheimer’s disease. The test can be run in most places worldwide, so it allows people worldwide to have an accurate diagnosis.
With new effective treatments now on the market and future treatments emerging for Alzheimer’s, it is hopeful that these new diagnostic blood tests can be used to assess the effectiveness of new medications. These blood tests may also be an objective way to determine whether a person’s condition is improving. As this test is perfected and its prognostic value improved, its future in assessing the presence of Alzheimer’s will be an invaluable tool.
It is hoped that these tests may help diagnose Alzheimer’s before cognitive decline develops and that therapies will be developed that can prevent such a decline from occurring. This news is truly a game changer in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. Veita Bland is a board-certified Greensboro physician and hypertension specialist. Dr. Bland’s radio show, “It’s a Matter of Your Health,” can be heard live on Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. on N.C. A&T State University’s WNAA, 90.1 FM. Listeners may call in and ask questions. The show is replayed on Sirius 142 at 5 p.m. on Wed. Email Dr. Bland at ideas@blandclinicpa.com.
