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Blood protein linked to Alzheimer's disease

Category: General Health

Individuals who are already at an elevated risk for developing Alzheimer's disease may want to seek out a blood test, as a new study has found that a certain kind of blood abnormality may contributed to the condition.

Researchers found that elevated levels of a protein in the blood are responsible for clotting and may deteriorate blood vessel walls. This appears to have an especially significant impact on vessels in the brain, leading to cognitive impairment.

Sidney Strickland, lead author of the study, said that high levels of the protein may also lead to impaired blood flow through the small vessels that run throughout the brain by causing blood clot.

"Substantial evidence suggests that AD has a strong vascular component. However, there is no known mechanism that explains how [the protein] could alter the process of blood clot formation," he said.

While the study was unable to pinpoint the process that is responsible for elevated levels of the protein, Strickland said that drugs that interfere with its function may be an effective way to treat the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.