I received this email today - it is an advertisement for Trivita as well as great information, but I really wanted to share it here in its entirety. It is very encouraging news as far as progress being made in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of this challenging illness.

A New Test for Alzheimer’s

A breakthrough blood test for Alzheimer’s disease may soon be on the market. It is for a protein called CD-69 that lives in lymphocytes (white blood cells involved in your immune system). This new blood test joins the established blood tests for Alzheimer’s risk: Apolipoprotein e-4 and Homocysteine.

Risks for Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s dementia is a progressive disease where inflammation tangles up nerve fibers and toxic proteins trigger plaque formation. Inflammation often occurs in the immune system of the brain.

This damage increases as you age. It can be amplified by certain lifestyle choices, such as smoking and poor nutrition, and multiplied by brain injuries, heart disease and depression. Injury, nutrient deficiency, electromagnetic fields and stress all cause brain inflammation and produce tangled nerves. Toxic blood levels of minerals such as aluminum, iron, zinc and copper can also create inflammation and may produce toxic protein complexes that trigger plaques.

Tests you can take
If you suspect you or a loved one has Alzheimer’s disease, there are a number of tests you can take that may help determine a diagnosis:

CD-69 lymphocyte test
As I mentioned, the CD-69 lymphocyte test will be available soon. Lymphocytes are immune system cells made in your lymphatic system; primarily in the lymph nodes of your abdomen. The same stem cells that create these lymphocytes also serve as the foundation for the immune system in your brain.

The CD-69 lymphocyte test helps to confirm the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and to separate it from other causes of dementia such as Parkinson’s. It is very accurate once a person has serious signs of dementia. However, we do not know how early these CD-69 proteins appear. So, we do not yet know if CD-69 can be used to predict Alzheimer’s disease in time to alter the course of dementia.

Apolipoprotein e-4
Apolipoprotein e-4 is a genetic test for Alzheimer’s and other diseases. We get Apo-e genes from our parents (e-2 is the longevity gene, e-3 is the common gene and e-4 is the gene associated with heart disease, osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s).

Homocysteine
Homocysteine is a test that shows how active the disease process is: the higher the homocysteine number, the more active the disease. Homocysteine is a strong trigger for inflammation. C-Reactive Protein (CRP) is a measurement of inflammation.

Other beneficial tests that can help determine your level of risk for Alzheimer’s and other diseases of inflammation include LDL-C (“bad,” inflamed cholesterol) and fasting insulin levels (insulin is very inflammatory!).

Steps to take
It is always better to know than to not know. Take as many of the tests listed above as you or your loved one can access. And remember, a positive test is not a death sentence. There are simple lifestyle techniques that can yield a profound result in terms of wellness.

• A single brain injury can increase your risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 1,000%! Yet, lifelong learning can erase much of the effect of injury by creating new connections in your brain. (See the WWR article on Memory).
  
  
• Low homocysteine, low CRP and low LDL-C are all associated with reduced risk for dementia. Eating an organic, plant-based diet high in fiber and B vitamins can help reduce CRP and homocysteine. Eating cold-water fish like wild salmon may reduce LDL-C. Supplements such as HCY Guard and OmegaPrime can make the critical difference between success and failure in a prevention program.

Good health – your best defense
Aggressive application of the Ten Essentials as well as the principles of healthy aging can help create the best possible biological terrain – your best defense against Alzheimer’s dementia and, indeed, all diseases.