Alzheimer’s: how to detect it at an early stage

People with Alzheimer’s have noticeably higher formic acid in their pee. It can lead to a dramatic increase in the disease. It would mean fast and early screening for the incurable form of dementia, but it can be slowed down and managed if caught early. This neurodegenerative disease emerges much earlier than its manifestation is then irreversible. This is why we need tools that can prevent by identifying the disease in time for the patients most at risk. 

Biomarkers signal Alzheimer ‘s disease early and one of them is formic acid through urine testing. Formic acid is a substance found in the brain, blood, urine and other tissues. In patients with Alzheimer’s, formic acid levels are much higher and mark the progression of the disease. Elevated formic acid has previously been found in patients in the early stage of dementia , when memory appears to be impaired but remains in nonpathological ranges. 

Then the comparison of the levels of formic acid with other biomarkers of the pathology in the plasma of patients made it possible to understand the progress of the disease of each one. Further studies will delve into the link between dementia and formic acid. Formic acid could be useful for future diagnoses and also for routine screenings in later and adulthood. 

• Does a compound present in urine tell early Alzheimer’s? (focus.it)