New hope in the fight against Alzheimer’s as blood biomarkers are linked to early onset
Getting an early alert for Alzheimer’s gives more time to prepare and fight it. Scientists say that is now a step closer.
Key Points
- Researchers have found a biomarker linked to the risk of dementia symptoms.
- Someone with increased levels of the 3-HAA compound is 35 times more likely to progress to Alzheimer’s.
- An early warning could give people time to head off the disease.
Healthy over 65-year-olds with a high level of a certain marker in their blood are 35 times more likely to transition to mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s.
Macquarie University and the CSIRO researchers have found a potential blood biomarker associated with a risk of cognitive decline that can appear years before the onset of dementia symptoms.
It is hoped this could be early enough for people to make lifestyle changes to help head off the disease.
The human body has several ways of breaking down and producing the compounds necessary to continue functioning.
While some compounds are protective, others can become toxic in high enough amounts, leading to the death of neurons, cells that transmit messages in the brain.
The researchers found someone with increased levels of the 3-HAA compound is 35 times more likely to progress to Alzheimer’s than someone with normal levels. They looked at samples from 239 people with an average age of 75, 166 of whom developed Alzheimer’s. The samples were taken every 18 months as part of a long-term study of healthy older Australians.
Increased levels of the 3-HAA compound have been proven to impair the immunological response to the build-up of amyloid in the brain. A key factor in the development of Alzheimer's.
What you can do to ward off Alzheimer’s?
Inflammation of the neurological system is one of the key culprits of Alzheimer’s, as it increases the toxicity of amyloids and tau proteins, which build up in the brain.
There are lifestyle changes anybody can make at any age that help reduce chronic inflammation:
- Follow a Mediterranean diet. Low in red meat and processed foods and rich in vegetables, legumes and beans, nuts, fish and healthy oils such as olive oil. Include as many bright coloured foods as possible, such as leafy greens and red berries.
- Get at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise every day such as walking, swimming or cycling. Cardiovascular exercise needs to raise your heart rate, but there is no need to do anything too strenuous, like running.
- Reduce your alcohol consumption. The current Australian advice is to drink no more than four standard drinks per day and no more than 10 drinks a week.
The process of testing for 3-HAA is at the laboratory stage. Researchers are confident it will be possible to develop a rapid blood test in the future.
“If you found your levels were high, you get a brain scan to determine whether there is a build-up of amyloid plaques, which is an indicator of Alzheimer’s. You would then begin taking preventative measures,” Macquarie Medical School’s David Lovejoy, team leader, said.
“We don’t know whether increased levels of 3-HAA leading up to dementia can be reversed. That needs more research, but there are so many exciting possibilities here.
“There would also be the potential to use such a test to check whether new Alzheimer’s therapies were working.”
The discovery could also lead to the development of a simple blood test instead of a costly and complex diagnosis years later, giving patients valuable time to stave off the disease.
This could include changes to lifestyle, such as a Mediterranean diet and exercise.
Dr Lovejoy told The Australian it was not yet known if lifestyle changes would be able to altogether reverse cognitive decline.
“That is something that needs more research, but there are so many exciting possibilities here,” he said.
For further reading: Lighthouse and The Australian
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimates that 83 out of every 1000 Australians over 65 have dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause. It is estimated Australia’s ageing population will see the number of people with dementia double to 849,300 by 2058 compared to 386,000 in 2021.
