Monday, May 26, 2008
Can Alzheimer’s disease be detected with a blood test? I have a close friend who is 55 years old. He suffered a stroke six years ago and has recovered but has some short-term memory loss. If this can be detected, what are the current treatments available?
There are no blood tests or brain scans that can diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. The diagnosis has to be made by an experienced physician using information gathered by talking to the patient and family (or close friends), the physical examination, and tests of the patient’s memory and thinking skills. Sometimes blood tests and scans can add information to help in the diagnosis, but they do not stand alone.
Memory loss following a strokemay be related to the stroke itself, Alzheimer’s disease, or both. It would be important for your friend to be thoroughly evaluated. There are medications available for Alzheimer’s disease (cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine), but it is also important to control risk factors for more strokes (such as high cholesterol or diabetes).