By james art SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Alzheimer’s Awareness Month begins Friday, and as more Americans deal with the disease, scientists are working to find more ways to diagnose it. One new tool may be blood tests.
“It’s a picture of my mother-in-law and father-in-law,” said Jolene DiBrango of Scottsdale.
DiBrango met his father-in-law, Frank, when he was just 18 years old. That’s why it was so painful to see his cognitive abilities deteriorate.
“He had the disease then, but it wasn’t late stage,” she said, showing a photo. “So you can see some light in his eyes that was there that went away towards the end.”
In August, Frank DiBrango lost his battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
“He was the youngest of eleven children and was the eighth to die of dementia or Alzheimer’s,” DiBrango said.
DiBrango now worries about her husband, Joe, and his siblings.
“It’s in our family and it runs. You know the risk is there,” she said.
Still, scientists at an international conference on Thursday announced that two clinical trials are showing promise. They look at blood tests that look for indicators of the disease and can be used to make an early diagnosis.
Much research on these tests is being conducted in Arizona. The Banner Alzheimer’s Institute has launched a blood-based biomarker program and brought in a world-renowned expert to promote the use of these tests in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.
The Alzheimer’s Association says the blood tests are 90 percent accurate for patients with cognitive symptoms and could be a crucial tool in Arizona, where 151,500 people are living with the disease.
“Arizona has one of the fastest growing rates of Alzheimer’s disease in the country,” said James Fitzpatrick, director of advocacy for the Alzheimer’s Association. “We are literally the epicenter. It is vital that we keep up with the search for the disease.”
DiBrango says if the job goes ahead, it could be a game-changer for her husband, potentially buying them a priceless gift.
“Now, without the biomarker testing, you could be years in the making trying to get a definitive diagnosis,” DiBrango said. “You may miss that window for this treatment in the early stages, which slows progression and gives families and people with the disease more time.” And more time is what we all want with our loved ones.”
