In the field of Alzheimers disease (AD) prevention and treatment, "early detection, early diagnosis, early intervention" has become a consensus in the medical community.
Recently, Mr. Wang, 56 years old, was diagnosed with preclinical Alzheimers disease (AD) at the memory clinic of Hainan Chengmei Hospital. This diagnosis has sounded the alarm for early intervention for him and his family.
Blood test + PET imaging, dual tracks for early diagnosis of AD
The Memory Clinic of Hainan Chengmei Hospital has built a "golden chain" for the early diagnosis of AD through cutting-edge diagnostic and therapeutic technologies. The multi-dimensional assessment system from blood tests to PET images provides strong support for the early and precise diagnosis of AD patients. The first link of the "golden chain" is the detection of blood biomarkers such as p-tau217. As an emerging early diagnostic tool for Alzheimers disease (AD), the p-tau217 blood test has the advantage of being minimally invasive and convenient: only a small amount of peripheral blood needs to be drawn to make a clinical diagnosis of the risk of AD.
The level of p-tau217 in the blood of AD patients increases specifically. By testing it, signs of AD can be detected years or even decades before symptoms appear, greatly increasing the possibility of early AD detection, said Dai Wenxin, an expert at the memory clinic of Hainan Chengmei Hospital.
The second link in the "golden chain" is Aβ PET and tau PET tests. These two tests can visually show the deposition of amyloid (Aβ) and tau proteins in the brain, providing imaging evidence for the diagnosis of AD. Compared with other diagnostic methods, PET imaging tests have higher accuracy and specificity, which can help doctors make early and precise diagnoses and stage the disease precisely, screen out the best treatment time and guide clinical treatment.
"I started forgetting things last year. At first, I thought it was because I was getting older. It wasnt until my daughter brought me to the memory clinic for a p-tau217 blood test that I realized the severity of the problem." The 56-year-old patient recalled Mr. Wang. His blood test results showed an abnormally elevated level of p-tau217, and he was subsequently diagnosed with preclinical AD through Aβ PET examination. "The doctor said that if he had come half a year later, the condition could have progressed rapidly. Now with early intervention, I feel that the rate of memory decline has slowed down significantly."
Build a diagnostic loop to empower precision diagnosis and treatment
"Early diagnosis of AD is crucial to the patients prognosis." The head of the memory clinic at Hainan Chengmei Hospital said that the hospital uses a complete diagnostic system of "blood tests + PET imaging" to clinically diagnose the risk of AD through blood tests such as p-tau217. Further Aβ PET and tau PET imaging tests are conducted for patients with a preliminary diagnosis of risk to determine the stage of AD and provide a scientific basis for subsequent treatment and intervention.
This "two-pronged" diagnostic model fully combines the diagnostic advantages of minimally invasive and convenient blood tests with the diagnostic advantages of high accuracy and specificity of PET images, significantly improving the efficiency and accuracy of early diagnosis of AD and effectively avoiding missed diagnoses and misdiagnoses. Through this model, patients can have a clear diagnosis of the disease at an early stage, buying precious time for intervention treatment.
It is reported that since its establishment, the memory clinic at Hainan Chengmei Hospital has provided professional diagnosis and treatment services for many patients at risk of memory impairment or AD, earning unanimous praise from patients and their families. In the future, the hospital will continue to strengthen its cooperation with renowned experts and teams at home and abroad, constantly introduce and innovate advanced diagnostic and therapeutic technologies, make greater contributions to the prevention and treatment of AD, and bring hope to more AD patients.
Expert advice
If you or your family members are experiencing symptoms such as memory loss or cognitive decline, especially in people over 45 years old, it is recommended to visit a memory clinic as soon as possible for early screening and diagnosis of AD and to seize the best opportunity for disease intervention.
By Huang Fei