The simple blood test that can predict Alzheimer’s decline
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Neurologists discover new way to predict Alzheimer’s decline
- Research indicates that a simple blood test, the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, could identify Alzheimer’s patients at a high risk of cognitive decline.
- Neurologists at the University of Brescia in Italy found that non-diabetic Alzheimer's patients with mild cognitive impairment and high TyG scores experienced cognitive decline four times faster.
- The TyG index, a readily available marker for insulin resistance, showed this link specifically in Alzheimer's patients, not in those with other neurodegenerative conditions.
- It is believed that insulin resistance impairs glucose uptake in the brain, contributing to inflammation and amyloid build-up, both linked to Alzheimer's progression.
- These findings could lead to earlier identification of high-risk Alzheimer's patients, allowing for more targeted clinical trials and interventions to improve insulin sensitivity.