A saliva test may determine whether you’re more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment within six years. Mild cognitive decline and the more progressive Alzheimer’s disease becomes increasingly inevitable for some people as they age. But a simple saliva test may help determine whether you’ll develop the disease over the next six years. In a preliminary study, researchers at the University of Alberta, found specific metabolites, molecular byproducts of metabolism present in saliva could indicate metabolic changes in the brain signifying early stages of Alzheimer’s.
Similar to other diseases, Alzheimer’s can start years to decades before initial symptoms of memory loss emerge. Doctors are still trying to determine how to identify Alzheimer’s patients early enough to employ interventions. Shraddha Sapkota, neuroscience student at the Neuroscience and Mental…
