A blood test developed in Italy to
measure "free" copper levels in the plasma offers promise for
predicting and preventing Alzheimer's disease, said researchers
at the Fatebenefratelli Hospital of Rome on Monday.
Elevated copper levels in blood plasma coincides with
triple the risk of contracting the neurological degenerative
disease, they said.
The new blood test offers the prospect of preventing the
disease by lowering the concentration of copper in the blood for
at-risk subjects, explained Rosanna Squitti at Fatebenefratelli
Hospital.
In recent years, a number of studies have concluded that
copper plays an important role in roughly 60% of Alzheimer
patient cases, added research coordinator Paola Maria Rossini,
also at Fatebenefratelli.
Rossini added that free copper circulating in the blood can
have a toxic effect on the brain, and thus become a target for
preventative treatment.
The blood test and research were developed by researchers
at the Università Cattolica in Rome as well as the
Fatebenefratelli Hospitals of Rome and Brescia.
The study was published in the Annals of Neurology.
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