In April 2017, 23andMe received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sell a genetic health risk test directly to consumers. The resulting DNA test report contains interesting information on “wellness” traits, such as how quickly one will metabolize caffeine, predispositions to alcohol flush reaction, sleep movement, lactose intolerance, and more. The… Read More »
Can a simple blood test be possible to screen for Alzheimer’s disease and other brain conditions? New research discussed at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) last month suggests that reliable, low cost blood serum analysis for brain biomarkers is a possibility within the next decade or so. Blood tests are an attractive screening option… Read More »
I’m at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) in Boston this week, and one of the most discussed topics is the power of brain imaging tests to detect amyloid beta protein in the brain, one of the main hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging tests can identify amyloid beta deposits in… Read More »
Add Baxter International’s Gammagard to the ash heap of failed Alzheimer’s drug candidates. Baxter announced today that Gammagard did not provide any cognitive or functional improvement in 390 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. The patients who were enrolled in the Phase III trial received the drug through infusions over an 18 month period.… Read More »
With sophisticated brain imaging tests now making their way out of research labs or clinical trials, and into the doctor’s office, both patients and physicians will have to confront some important ethical and legal questions on how these tests are used. That’s the message from a seminar on amyloid imaging, hosted by the American Academy… Read More »
Rising Dementia Rates are a Global Health Trend A positive aspect of rising living standards in most of the world has been a significant improvement in worldwide average life expectancies, increasing from 52 years in 1960 to 69 years in 2009. Regional differences are even more striking — the average life expectancy for a person… Read More »