The smell of urine could lead to an early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease. Currently there is no way to make a determination until the symptoms are discovered.
If a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease could be made before someone begins to show symptoms of the disease then decisions could be made by the patient before they are incapacitated.
Early diagnosis is important not just for treatment, but also to allow someone to get his or her affairs in order before the disease takes its toll. Estate plans, wills, guardians, powers of attorney and living wills must all be done before the person becomes incapacitated.
However, diagnosis of Alzheimer’s has proven to be elusive.
Medical Express reports a positive development in “Odor biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease.”
Researchers have discovered in studies of mice that urine has a distinctive smell in specimens with pathologies that mimic Alzheimer’s. This smell can be detected even when no actual symptoms of Alzheimer’s are present. While this research is still in its infancy there is a possibility that it could result in a test that could be used to diagnose Alzheimer’s in humans.
Reference: Medical Express (Jan. 14, 2016) “Odor biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease.”
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