ALZHEIMER indicator in your SALIVA

A test of the substance Abeta42 in your saliva can reveal your Alzheimer's risk and a simple way to prevent the disease to start by the right products. April 23, 2018

The test is the brainchild of neuroscientist Dr. Patrick McGeer and his wife, Dr. Edith McGeer. The two of them are the most cited neuroscientists because each of them has put in over 30 years of work investigating neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. The test is the result of these studies.

Drs. McGeer and their team developed the test to measure the concentration of the peptide amyloid beta protein 42 (Abeta42) secreted in saliva. Abeta42 is one of the amino acid peptides involved in Alzheimer’s disease. It and several other peptides are the main components of the amyloid plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.

Most people produce Abeta42 at exactly the same rate, regardless of their gender or age. But those who are predisposed to Alzheimer’s disease will produce Abeta42 at a rate that’s two to three times higher than normal. This increased rate of production is evident in your saliva. So the test the McGeers developed can detect your risk relatively easily - using just one teaspoon of saliva.

If the test discovers your Abeta42 production is high, you can be sure that this relatively insoluble peptide is beginning to create deposits in the brain, causing neuroinflammation. And it’s this inflammation that destroys neurons in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Patrick McGeer said: “Unfortunately, most clinical trials to date have focused on patients whose cognitive deficits are already mild to severe, and when the therapeutic opportunities in this late stage of the disease are minimal. Consequently, every therapeutic trial has failed to arrest the disease’s progression. Our discovery is a game changer. We now have a simple test that can indicate if a person is fated to develop Alzheimer’s disease long before it begins to develop. Individuals can prevent that from happening through a simple solution that requires no prescription or visit to a doctor. This is a true breakthrough since it points in a direction where AD can eventually be eliminated.” This test is a potential game changer. But the treatment is quite simple. As soon as a researcher mentions inflammation, the next step is usually NSAIDs. And that’s exactly where Drs. McGeer takes us in their study. NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are the treatment of choice for inflammation because they work to reduce inflammation.

Once the test is available, Dr. McGeer recommended the following: “Knowing that the prevalence of clinical Alzheimer’s disease commences at age 65, we recommend that people get tested 10 years before, at age 55, when the onset of Alzheimer’s would typically begin. If they exhibit elevated Abeta42 levels then, that is the time to begin taking daily ibuprofen to ward off the disease.”  But there are two problems with this solution. First, this study didn’t prove that NSAIDs can stop the progression of Alzheimer’s if you catch it early. They will have to conduct more studies to prove the drugs will work to prevent the neuroinflammation caused by Abeta42.

Second, there’s the issue of side effects. As I’ve detailed many times before, NSAIDs cause stomach pain and heartburn, stomach ulcers, bleeding in the stomach, a tendency to bleed more, liver or kidney problems, high blood pressure, and leg swelling. The problems can be so severe, the package warns not to take them for more than 10 days without talking to your doctor. And to prevent Alzheimer’s, you would have to take them for more than 10 days.

You don’t have to wait for the test to begin fighting Alzheimer’s. And you don’t have to put yourself at risk for all those side effects. If you’re over the age of 50-55, all you have to do is take anti-inflammatory nutrients, such as those in Reduloxin. These nutrients can lower inflammation throughout your body, including your brain, without any negative side effects.

Are there studies showing curcumin can prevent Alzheimer’s? Not nearly enough. But there are some. And one study concluded: “Based on the main findings detailed above (in their study), curcumin will lead to a promising treatment for Alzheimer's disease.” The researchers, of course, are looking at drug possibilities. But why not take the natural product now?