Scientists may have tests to detect Alzheimers

July 3, 2005

It is believed that magnetic resonance spectroscopy can detect genetic flaws which are an almost certain guarantee that the person will develop Alzheimer's disease later in life. Scientists have also used positron emission tomography, or PET scans to see if Alzheimer's disease developed in some of the test subjects. Another study determined that blood levels of a protein called amyloid beta 42 drops three to five years before a patient was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It was also found that Japanese-Americans who drank the most fruit and vegetable juice had a fourfold lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s, while one researcher found that moderate drinkers had a lower risk of Alzheimer’s than either non-drinkers or heavy drinkers.