Diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease Before Symptoms Show in Women

Currently, there are over 27 million people worldwide suffering from Alzheimer's disease (AD) and according to the American Health Assistance Foundation, approximately 1 in 45 people may be living with AD in the United States by 2048. Unfortunately, science has yet to introduce a cure into the market, leaving those affected to digress in their lives until the symptoms eventually claims them. With recent advances in providing treatments against AD, the market has provided five drugs that slow its degenerative process. These drugs mainly target and deactivate acetylcholineesterase inhibitors in the body which increases the amount and duration of acetylcholine in the body. Acetylcholine serves several functions in both the Central Nervous System and the Peripheral Nervous System in the body. In general, it functions as a neuromodulator responsible for the enhancement of perception, sustaining attention, muscle contraction, etc. To achieve the best results from those drugs, one would have to begin consumption at a relatively early stage. Unfortunately, by the time one is diagnosed with AD due to memory loss, or difficulty performing regular tasks, etc. the disease has progressed too far for the medication to be of optimum potential for the patient. Luckily, this article found a correlation that will help with the diagnosis of AD much before the onset of symptoms in females.

According to an extensive study done by Theo Luider at Erasmus University Medical Centre in Rotterdam, the females who exhibited symptoms of AD and later were diagnosed with AD, exhibited high levels of pregnancy zone protein. Compared to that of a normal female, women who were diagnosed with AD, on average, had 60% higher pregnancy zone protein content. After more analysis, scientists have discovered that brain plaques produce the pregnancy zone protein, and more specifically, female brain plaques create abnormally larger amounts than male ones. The reason how sex plays a role in the development of pregnancy zone proteins is still under investigation but the aforementioned research serves to benefit the community by allowing for a much earlier diagnoses in women than in men.

LINK: http://www.economist.com/node/21531417