Yahoo News is reporting that a study published in the journal of Nature Medicine is saying that a simple blood test may be able to detect if mild lapses of memory are an early sign of Alzheimer's disease.
An international team of scientists describe 18 cell-signaling proteins found in the 
blood that can predict whether someone would develop Alzheimer's with up to 90% accuracy. They said tests to detect changes in those proteins could be used to predict the disease two to six years ahead of its onset.
"This is very exciting," said Dr. Tony Wyss-Coray, a researcher at Stanford University and head of geriatric research at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System in California. "We show there are very interesting changes going on with patients with Alzheimer's disease. These changes occur early on in the disease process."
Alzheimer's is a progressive, degenerative disease that destroys brain cells causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior. It is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. and the World Health Organization estimates that approximately 18 million people suffer from the illness worldwide.
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