New Delhi, Aug 20 : A group of Australian researchers have identified a possible blood biomarker that could indicate the possibility of dementia earlier, and allow people adopt lifestyle changes to fight off the condition.Researchers from Macquarie University and the CSIRO Australia’s national science organization discovered that people with an increased level of 3-HAA may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 35 times.
The team examined samples from 239 individuals with an average age of 75.Of these, 166 of them went on to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
The samples were collected every 18 months in the course of an ongoing investigation of healthier older Australians.
“We discovered that a person with higher levels of 3-HAA is 35 times more likely to Alzheimer’s disease than someone with normal levels” stated David Lovejoy from Macquarie Medical School.
It is the first time that higher 3-HAA levels are being shown as an early warning indicator of the illness.Previous to this, 3-HAA levels have been found to decrease following a diagnosis of dementia, but no one has ever considered looking back to determine it in the time leading up to the diagnosis.
So, the team was shocked to find that higher 3-HAA levels that strongly predict the risk of becoming afflicted with mild cognitive impairment that can lead to the diagnosis of dementia.
“Increased levels of the 3-HAA metabolite are known to decrease the immune response to the accumulation of amyloid in the brain, which is one of the most important ‘bad actors’ in the development of Alzheimer’s disease,” Lovejoy added.
Although at this stage the procedure of conducting tests for 3-HAA is still in the laboratory stage There are plenty of reasons to believe it is possible to develop a speedy blood test in the near future the team said.
“In the theoretical sense If you noticed that you had high levels of cholesterol, you’d undergo a brain scan to determine if there was an accumulation of amyloid plaques.It are an indication of Alzheimer’s disease.Then, you should start making preventative steps,” Lovejoy said.
“We don’t know for sure if the increased levels of 3-HAA, which can cause dementia could be reversed.This is a subject that requires more research but there are many exciting possibilities.
“There is also the possibility of using this test to determine whether the new Alzheimer’s treatments were effective.If levels of 3-HAA begin to decline it could indicate that the treatment was achieving the desired result,” Lovejoy said.
Happily, Lovejoy noted there are lifestyle changes anyone could make at any time to help ease chronic inflammation, including a healthy diet that is not high in red meat and other processed foods , and high in vegetables, including the leafy greens and red berries and at minimum 30 minutes of daily exercise like cycling, swimming or walking and reduce the consumption of alcohol.
rvt/
