Approximately four million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease, a severe neurological disorder marked by progressive dementia and physical deterioration of the brain. It is a disease that afflicts mainly older people.

Although there is no known cure, a new study finds that a simple blood test could help doctors predict who is susceptible to Alzheimer's.

Boston University medical researchers have discovered that patients with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia have higher levels of homocysteine, an amino acid, in their blood than those who do not suffer from the brain-destroying disease.

Dr. Tim Johnson, a medical expert on homocysteine, suggests that people over the age of 50 should take this blood test as a precaution. Dr. Johnson is also a proponent of a fairly inexpensive and simple treatment to lower elevated levels of homocysteine in the bloodstream.

"Fortunately," Dr. Johnson said, "the treatment is easy and it is safe. It involves three B vitamins. Vitamin B 6, vitamin B 12 and Folic acid. And we know that if you take those vitamins we are not sure how much yet it [the level of homocysteine] will come down." But so far, there is no conclusive evidence that this preventative treatment could ward off Alzheimer's. The reason is that scientists have not yet discovered that elevated homocysteine can cause Alzheimer's.

However, the experts say that an amino acid blood test followed by a vitamin rich diet could benefit many.

Email this article to a friend
Printer Friendly Version