Posted under Blog on August 30th, 2013 by Editorial Team / No Comments

A leading healthcare professional has stated that early detection is the strongest defence against the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.  Emerging research suggests that spotting the disease in people who present no symptoms may be the best way to halt its onset.

Clifford Jack, a professor of radiology at the Mayo Medical School in the US, said: “Treating those with Alzheimer’s disease isn’t going to be about restoring people with dementia to normal cognitive function. It’s going to be about preventing it in those who are at risk.”

Up until recently, clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease concentrated on patients with dementia, a relatively late stage in the progression of the disease.

The hope is that by encouraging earlier diagnosis, healthcare professionals will have greater scope to delay the onset of the disease. The research is to be used in devising a test which may detect signs of Alzheimer’s a decade before the disease strikes. This knowledge could change the way Alzheimer’s is diagnosed and treated

Tags: Alzheimer's disease, early diagnosis, research