Of those over age 65, 1 in 10 has some degree of Alzheimer’s dementia according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Diagnosing early Alzheimer’s is very difficult. Is constantly misplacing our keys or reading glasses signs of early Alzheimer’s, or is it sleep deprivation, depression, metabolic disorder, vitamin deficiency, or a structural problem in the brain?
An early Alzheimer’s diagnosis is important in that early intervention can occur. While the patient still has their faculties, decisions about care, finances, and custodial issues may be addressed.
But diagnosing Alzheimer’s early on is a challenge. MRI’s and PET scans do not reliably detect the disease. Today’s medications do not cure or reverse Alzheimer’s. The main benefit of early detection is advance planning.
That said, blood biomarker research holds significant interest. The possibility exists that with accurate early detection, drug development may be improved. There are three blood biomarkers that show promise, but large scale studies are still required. In the near future a reliable test may be available to detect early-onset Alzheimer’s.
If and when a reliable test is created to diagnose Alzheimer’s early, an important question will be how, and under what circumstances, an insurance company will be allowed to use such tests when underwriting life insurance, long term care, and long term disability policy applicants.