A new study is the first to identify a molecule in urine that can reveal early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. The research suggests the finding could pave the way for an inexpensive and convenient test for the disease.
In other words, it may be possible that a simple urine test to analyse formic acid – a sensitive urinary biomarker – could reveal if someone has early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers tested 574 people who had Alzheimer’s disease of different levels of severity or healthy people, to identify differences in urinary biomarkers.
They found that urinary formic acid is a sensitive marker of subjective cognitive decline (self-reported experience of worsening or more frequent confusion or memory loss) that may indicate the very early stages of Alzheimer’s. Current methods of diagnosing the condition are expensive, inconvenient, and unsuitable for routine screening.
