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A new study suggests that a simple blood test could help predict a woman’s risk of developing dementia up to 25 years before symptoms appear. Researchers identified a blood-based biomarker called phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217), a protein associated with the brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease. The study found that higher levels of p-tau217 were strongly linked with the later development of mild cognitive impairment and dementia among women who showed no signs of cognitive decline at the beginning of the research. “Our study suggests we may be able to identify women at elevated risk for dementia decades before symptoms emerge,” said lead author Aladdin H. Shadyab, associate professor of public health and medicine at University of California San Diego. According to Shadyab, such early detection could allow doctors to focus on prevention strategies and closer monitoring long before memory issues begin affecting daily life. The findings were published in JAMA Network Open and are based on data from the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study, a large U.S. national study involving 2,766 women aged between 65 and 79 who were enrolled in the late 1990s and followed for up to 25 years. During the follow-up period, researchers tracked participants who developed memory or thinking problems, including dementia. Women with higher p-tau217 levels in their blood at the start of the study were found to have a significantly greater likelihood of developing dementia later in life. The risk increased as biomarker levels rose. The study also found that elevated p-tau217 levels were more strongly linked to poorer cognitive outcomes among women aged 70 and older, as well as among those carrying the APOE e4 genetic risk factor associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, the biomarker appeared to be more predictive among women who had been randomly assigned estrogen-plus-progestin hormone therapy compared to those given a placebo. Researchers noted that factors such as age, race, the APOE e4 gene, and hormone therapy use should be considered when examining the link between p-tau217 and cognitive decline. Senior author Linda K. McEvoy of the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute said blood-based biomarkers like p-tau217 are particularly promising because they are far less invasive than traditional diagnostic methods such as brain imaging or spinal fluid tests. “This could significantly advance research into the causes of dementia and help scientists evaluate strategies that may reduce the risk of developing the condition,” McEvoy said. Source: PTI Photo Credit: Bogdanhoda