Another Mılestone In Dıagnosıng Alzheımer’S – The Trıple Test
Date:
03/01/2011
The A Beta 42 Blood Test, used by Anadolu Medical Centre since 2009 to determine susceptibility to Alzheimer’s disease is now offered in a triple framework. This framework, capable of determining the potential of developing Alzheimer’s in the years to come at up to 90 percent accuracy is another milestone in early diagnosis of this disease.
Are you one of the people who say yes to the question “Are you forgetful?” Or do you find yourself forgetting things and suspecting Alzheimer’s? Although each spell of forgetfulness is not the forerunner of Alzheimer’s, many people are still worried about the disease.
Improving the Alzheimer’s risk assessment test by developing a triple framework setup Anadolu Medical Centre offers public the opportunity of determining their future susceptibility to the disease at up to 90 percent accuracy. Anadolu Medical Centre first introduced the Amyloid-Beta measurement test in Turkey a year ago. Now supported by APOE genotyping and a FDG PET-SCAN this triple test sequence can determine whether a 30-40 year old person will develop Alzheimer’s in the future.
Look out for A Beta 42 Protein!
Pointing out to the significance of “A Beta 42” protein Anadolu Medical Centre Neurologist Professor Türker Şahiner said: “Alzheimer’s Risk Assessment Test helps us determine A Beta 42 protein levels in blood. Having high levels of this protein in blood stream offers us significant insight about the potential of developing this disease. However this is not a screening test, it’s only a risk factor assessment test. Having high A Beta 42 protein levels is by no means that the person is destined to develop Alzheimer’s. Additional imaging techniques like MR, PET-CT and EEG as well as neurological examinations recommended by specialists help us understand whether forgetfulness experienced by the individual is merely a spell of poor memory experienced by millions of other people or a symptom of Alzheimer’s”.
Dwelling into the triple test including Amyloid Beta measurement, APOE genotyping and FDG PET-SCAN Professor Türker Şahiner said: “The genetic code producing ‘A Beta 42’ responsible of Alzheimer’s is embedded in the APOE gene. We know that three types of this gene exist in society, APOE-2, APOE-3 and APOE-4. Studies suggest that people carrying APOE-4 in their genetic code produce more of this protein responsible of Alzheimer’s. In other words, having the APOE-4 gene constitutes one of the risk factors currently accepted for this disease. Determining a person’s APOE type and measuring “A Beta 42’ protein levels in blood does present a picture for the risk level of developing Alzheimer’s ”.
Associating the condition with the relation between cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases Professor Türker Şahiner said: “Just like the directly proportional relation between high cholesterol levels and the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases people with higher ‘A Beta 42’ levels are more prone to developing Alzheimer’s in the years to come. Besides cellular studies significant leaps have been made in radiology as well. We are now capable of marking and visualising Amyloid Beta 42 in MR screenings. Meanwhile the FDG PET-SCAN is indispensible in diagnosis. It helps determine the extent of brain damage induced by Amyloid Beta accumulation.”
Professor Türker Şahiner said that thanks to these tests it is now not only possible to determine the reasons behind forgetfulness in young people we can also offer the chance of taking early measures for treatable cases.
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