The blood test that catches Alzheimer’s 16 years before serious symptoms begin

If you knew right now that you were going to get Alzheimer’s in the next 20 years, what would you do to change your destiny?

Would you exercise more? Eat better? Try kirtan kriya meditation? All the above?

Unfortunately, there’s no way to know what the future has in store for your brain… at least not yet. But that may change soon.

Researchers may have discovered a simple blood test that can predict whether you’ll develop Alzheimer’s later in life.

A protein in your blood predicts your Alzheimer’s risk

The signs of Alzheimer’s disease appear in your brain decades before symptoms start. Unfortunately, most of us are the none the wiser about what’s happening in our brains over the course of our lives.

We are, however, more aware of what’s going on in our blood since we get pricked for a blood draw more times than we can count…

Lucky for us, researchers from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases recently discovered a way to detect brain changes tied to Alzheimer’s disease in a simple blood test.

They identified a marker in human blood that shows that the brain is losing nerve cells — a protein called neurofilament light chain (NfL). The more NfL in the blood, the more brain damage a person has.

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Their study included 405 people, 243 of whom had gene mutations that predispose them to Alzheimer’s. Researchers measured their NfL levels through blood tests, scanned their brains and had them complete cognitive tests every two and a half years.

And people with the Alzheimer’s-related gene mutations had more NfL in their blood. Researchers were also able to verify that higher NfL levels were associated with more cognitive decline in cognitive tests and more brain shrinkage in brain scans.

Now, technically testing NfL isn’t a totally new concept. There’s already a test that measures NfL in cerebrospinal fluid to check for other neurological conditions. But a blood test is much less invasive than a spinal tap (which is what they use to check cerebrospinal fluid). So, this blood test could be helpful for people with a range of neurological conditions, not just Alzheimer’s disease.

Adopting an Alzheimer’s prevention plan

Of course, the serious question is…

What should you do if you have high levels of NfL in your blood?

It’s not helpful to know you’re going to develop a disease if there’s nothing you can do to prevent it. And the sad truth is, there still isn’t a guaranteed way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease if you’re at high-risk.

But my advice, whether you know you’re at a higher risk or not, would be to follow lifestyle habits with proven preventative potential. Here are some of the most effective options for driving down your Alzheimer’s risk:

1. I’m always amazed when I read about how much exercise can prevent or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s. In fact, a recent study from researchers at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil found that mice and people with Alzheimer’s have less irisin in their blood, a hormone released during exercise. Researchers believe this hormone prevents Alzheimer’s by activating genes in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that creates and stores memories and the first part of the brain to show signs of Alzheimer’s. Another study found that people with mild cognitive impairment (the precursor to dementia) were able to increase their brain volume and improve their cognitive function in just six months by doing aerobic exercise a few times a week.
2. Kirtan Kriya Meditation. This ancient Indian chanting meditation has been shown in numerous studies to improve memory and brain function. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that daily Kirtan Kriya practice can improve brain function in the areas associated with language and communication in older adults with memory problems or mild cognitive impairment.
3. Research shows that cannabinoids (compounds found in cannabis) can fight brain inflammation by clearing away the amyloid beta proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Nowadays, the cannabinoid CBD is available on the internet and in many health food stores. So, it may be a worthy addition to your Alzheimer’s prevention efforts. To learn more about supplements that might help, read 15+ herbs, vitamins and nutrients that help fight dementia.
4. When it comes to preventing diseases, you should never underestimate the power of diet. Research shows the best diet for Alzheimer’s prevention is the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay diet or MIND diet. As the name indicates, it’s inspired by the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. And research shows it can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by up to 53 percent. Here’s more information about the MIND diet if you’d like to give it a try.

Sources:

1. Blood test could detect Alzheimer’s up to 16 years before symptoms begin, study says — CNN
2. Serum neurofilament dynamics predicts neurodegeneration and clinical progression in presymptomatic Alzheimer’s disease — Nature Medicine
3. The Alzheimer’s Research & Prevention Foundation’s Study on Brain Health, Yoga and Meditation — Alzheimer’s Universe
4. 15 simple diet tweaks that could cut your Alzheimer’s risk — Mayo Clinic