Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
09 July 2014 09:46
Alzheimer's: need not be a barrier to enjoying a good family holiday
Knowing whether you have Alzheimer's disease could be just one simple blood test away as early as 2016, scientists claim.
The test predicts with nearly 90% accuracy whether people with slight memory loss will eventually be diagnosed with the disease up to a year before symptoms appear.
It is hoped the test could assist families in planning for their loved ones suffering the illness. The procedure is likely to cost between £100 and £300.
Experts predict the test will revolutionise the hunt for new treatment for this brain illness, which affects about 600,000 UK residents every year.
Every drug trial aimed at halting or reversing Alzheimer's has been unsuccessful.
A leading reason behind this failure is that test patients are enlisted when their Alzheimer's has already taken too great a grip, according to researchers.
The latest test relies on 10 telltale "biomarker" proteins. Scientists analysed 26 proteins which had earlier been linked to the illness.
They then studied blood samples across 1,146 people - 476 of these were Alzheimer's sufferers, 220 suffered with intermittent memory lapses, and 450 older people enjoyed good health.
Scientists stress that most memory failures do not result in Alzheimer's.
But they found blood proteins - as many as 10 - that were common in nearly nine-tenths (87%) of occasional memory loss sufferers who were diagnosed with Alzheimer's within the next 12 months.
Co-test pioneer, King's College London's Simon Lovestone, says it could help the medical profession much earlier.
Professor Lovestone now wants to create a trustworthy test that can be used by GPs.
Alzheimer's Research UK is cautioning that such a test can only be expected to be used as a preliminary diagnostics measure in tandem with later brain scans plus spinal fluid sample collections.
The study is published in the Alzheimer's & Dementia journal.
Specialist travel insurance can be arranged for people with Alzheimer's .
26 September 2017
Sending a postcard from your holiday at the seaside is a treasured memory for many Brits. Now, a 75% decline in postcard sales suggest the tradition could be grinding to a halt.
[more...]
23 September 2017
Thomas Cook has launched a new service that will enable holidaymakers to select which hotel room they want, before even boarding a flight.
22 September 2017
A new computer code that can be applied to GP surgery data could be the answer to identifying those most at risk of developing bowel cancer.
21 September 2017
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a warning over a growing resistance to antibiotics.
20 September 2017
Thousands of Ryanair flights have been cancelled over the next six weeks, as the airline says it "messed up" allocation of its pilots' annual leave.
19 September 2017
Manchester's Girlguides are being urged to help the elderly with a new badge incentivising youngsters to tackle senior loneliness.
16 September 2017
Holidaymakers are being evacuated as winds up to 200km per hour hit Central Vietnam, with Typhoon Doksuri damaging houses, roads and infrastructure.
15 September 2017
People in parts of East Anglia are eight times more likely to survive liver disease than Blackpool residents, according to new data by Public Health England (PHE).
14 September 2017
A non-invasive alternative to gastric bypass surgery that helps people with Type 2 diabetes lose weight is being recommended for widespread use by NHS experts.
13 September 2017
Almost half of UK adults travelling to areas at risk of malaria are not covering themselves by taking medication, despite recommendations made by the NHS and world health organisations.
12 September 2017
A new health warning has been issued by scientists in Sweden, suggesting e-cigarettes with nicotine could lead to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
09 September 2017
Researchers have developed a futuristic pen-like device that can tell whether someone has cancer much faster than current technology.