Researchers from UCLA have discovered a new way of measuring the stiffness of arteries within the brain and surrounding area that may lead to better detection of Alzheimer’s disease and help with stroke prevention. This procedure is non-invasive, which means that it will be more easily applied to the elderly and those that are ill.
This new method of measurement used an MRI to look at blood pressure within the brain at two separate points. One measurement was taken at the systolic phase, when the heart is pumping blood, and once at the diastolic phase, when the heart is relaxing. This is exactly like using an arm cuff and a stethoscope to measure blood pressure the old fashioned way, but because these arteries are not reachable this way, high tech methods were needed to find arterial pressure within the brain. The new method has been titled “Arterial Spin Labeling.” It relies on the fact that stiff arteries do not have as much difference between the measurements of the two different phases because stiff or clogged arteries cannot expand and contract as much as healthy arteries do. When an artery loses its elasticity, there is a higher risk of a blood clot. And when it comes to the brain, this can cause dementia or a stroke.
One of the big impacts of this new procedure will be that senior planning will become easier to do as planning ahead will be more accurate. If you know that your loved one has Alzheimer’s disease before major symptoms become apparent, you will have a better handle on how to approach their care because there will be fewer surprises and you will not be as rushed to find the most appropriate care. In the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, in-home care is typically more than enough to help someone get through their day safely. Knowing what to expect well ahead of time will help you to line up the best caregiving service that you can find in your local area. If more intensive care is going to be needed because of further disabilities, you will be able to make sure that this is setup, too.
A new test may be able to detect Alzheimer’s disease early on.
The more research there is, the stronger that scientists and doctors believe that things like hypertension and high cholesterol rates can contribute to Alzheimer’s. There’s already plenty of evidence to correlate these with stroke, heart disease, and diabetes, but there’s never been an easy way to measure arterial compliance in the brain before. Hopefully this non-invasive method will lead to better preventative care for those that are at risk. Having any elderly family members looked at for their risk is a good idea, and this method promises to be much easier to utilize in the future than those that required surgery or other invasive procedures. Whether or not insurance companies will cover this procedure is not yet resolved, but it seems like it has the potential to help many families better plan out senior care for their families if they find that an elderly loved one has Alzheimer’s or is at risk of other serious health issues.
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