A new study has found that a simple blood test could predict Parkinson's disease seven years before symptoms appear, marking a 'major step forward' in the diagnosis of the condition.
A groundbreaking blood test could predict Parkinson's disease up to seven years before symptoms manifest, heralding a "major step forward" in early diagnosis.
Currently, individuals with Parkinson's receive dopamine replacement therapy only after symptoms like tremors or slowed movement have emerged. It is believed that diagnosing and treating the condition earlier could safeguard the neurons that produce dopamine. Professor David Dexter, director of research at Parkinsons UK, revealed: "This research, co-funded by Parkinson's UK, represents a major step forward in the search for a definitive and patient-friendly diagnostic individual test for Parkinson's."
The senior author, Professor Kevin Mills of UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, pointed out: "As new therapies become available to treat Parkinson's, we need to diagnose patients before they have developed the symptoms." The team accompanying Professor Mills suggests that ongoing research may refine the test even further, allowing it to differentiate between Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative disorders that share early-stage characteristics. Additionally, the researchers are exploring the possibility of the test being able to forecast the onset of Parkinson's.
Parkinson's UK states that around one in 37 people alive today in the UK will be diagnosed with Parkinson's during their lifetime, and there are already 153,000 people living with the condition.
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