Alzheimer's Symptoms Can Begin Years Before They Appear
Experts state that brain changes specific to Alzheimer's disease can begin up to two decades before showing symptoms in daily life, and early diagnosis methods are critically important.
Neurology Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ülkü Figen Demir explained that certain changes specific to Alzheimer's disease can begin years before any symptoms appear in a person's daily life.
A Process Beginning Years Before Symptoms
Alzheimer's can be a process that begins long before any noticeable forgetfulness appears in daily life. Certain disease-related changes in the brain can start 10 to 20 years before symptoms.
New Methods in Early Diagnosis
New methods, such as blood biomarkers, are among the significant developments aimed at understanding the disease at an earlier stage. Demir noted that the blood biomarker called p-tau217 draws attention in early diagnosis.
Protein Accumulations and Risk Status
During this process, changes related to proteins called beta-amyloid and tau can develop in the brain. However, the presence of such changes in the brain does not necessarily mean that the person will develop Alzheimer's disease.
Recommendations to Protect Brain Health
Demir drew attention to the importance of keeping modifiable risk factors—such as blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes—under control in protecting brain health. Additionally, early detection of hearing loss, quality sleep, and regular physical activity were emphasized.
Other Causes of Forgetfulness
It was stated that forgetfulness alone is not definitive evidence of Alzheimer's, and treatable causes such as vitamin deficiencies and thyroid issues must certainly be investigated.