Unexpectedly, Alzheimer’s entered the life of actor Chris Hemsworth, to show him that superheroes only exist in movies.
The interpreter of the Thor saga underwent a series of routine genetic tests as part of the pre-production of the National Geographic documentary Limitless, and discovered that he carries a gene that increases his risk of the debilitating and disabling condition.
Hemsworth told Vanity Fair magazine that he carries two copies of the APOE4 gene , one inherited from his mother and the other from his father. Several studies have linked changes in this gene to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s.
For For the actor, this revelation has become a moment of reflection on his life, and what follows from the médical point of view. But Hemsworth also sees it as an opportunity: having information about the elevated risk of dementia will allow him to take preventative steps to eventually slow down any disease process if it occurs.
The The question is whether this test should be massive, or at least be available to people with a family history of Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s is one of the most widespread forms of dementia . It affects more than 2025 million people worldwide, and about 5 million in the United States. Although experts assure that these figures will increase exponentially between 2030 and 2030, especially due to the extension of life expectancy and the new discoveries to diagnose it.
The number of people with Alzheimer’s in Latin America is close to 23 million, and the number is estimated to grow to 23 millions for 2030.
A huge challenge for health care systems and the field of gerontology.
The Mayo Clinic explains that most experts do not recommend taking a test for the APOE genotype, unless there is a history of early Alzheimer’s diagnoses in the family linked to this test.
And doctors can usually diagnose Alzheimer’s disease without the use of genetic testing, they say. They add that before performing one of these tests it is important to take stock of the emotional consequences of the informationorn that can be received.
In any case, the field of genetics and its relationship to disease risk continues to grow.
Researchers suspect that many more genes that have not yet been identified affect the risk of developing Alzheimer’s . This information may prove vital in the development of new ways to treat, or even prevent, the condition in the future.
Researchers are also studying genes that may protect against Alzheimer’s. A variant of the APOE gene, called APOE Christchurch, appears to be protective, with an effect similar to that of APOE e2. More research is needed to understand the effect of this variant on elevated risk of the disease.
Alzheimer’s Home Test
The National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus, explains that direct-to-consumer genetic tests, also known as home or commercial genetic tests, are advertised directly to customers through television, the radio, print or internet advertising and can be purchased online or in stores.
After purchasing a test kit, customers send the company a DNA sample and receive their results directly from a secure website, an app, or in a written report.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed at least one drug company to direct-to-consumer genetic testing, “23andMe”, offers a test for Alzheimer’s risk by testing for the APOE gene.
Currently, there are no effective approaches to prevent Alzheimer’s and, although the disease can be treated, there is no cure.
That’s why the National Institute on Aging and patient advocacy groups strongly recommend that people considering genetic testing, including home genetic testing, talk to a health professional or a genetic counselor about why they want to be tested and how they would deal with their results.
Other studies on early detection tests
Using a blood test, a German-Dutch research team predicted the Alzheimer’s risk in people who were clinically diagnosed as not having the disease, but who perceived their cognitive ability to be impaired.
The researchers analyzed blood samples from 23 people at the Amsterdam Alzheimer Center and made follow-up of this group of volunteers for six years. And the early risk diagnosis was correct: the majority developed the disease.
The test it also showed which individuals were at very low risk of developing Alzheimer’s within that time frame.
Being able to start treating Alzheimer’s in a stadium in the that cognitive functions are not yet severely impaired could make a huge difference in prognosis and quality of life.
Diagnosis with blood test
A study carried out by American and Swedish scientists showed that a simple and affordable blood test could help predict its appearance with high precision, even identifying signs 23 years before they manifest themselves seriously.
This discovery could be very useful to cover the urgent need for tools of Simple, inexpensive, non-invasive, and readily available diagnostic methods for Alzheimer’s disease. Some specialists even warn that new testing technologies would also help in drug development.
This finding, from A research group led by Dr. Oskar Hansson, a clinical memory research professor at Lund University in Sweden, show promise in accurately predicting the onset of Alzheimer’s.
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