Could a Blood Test Predict Parkinsons Years Before Symptoms? [Video]

Key Takeaways

A new blood test might be able to predict who will get Parkinson’s diseaseThe test uses AI to assess eight different markers in the bloodIt successfully predicted 16 people who wound up with Parkinson’s

TUESDAY, June 18, 2024 (HealthDay News) — A new blood test might be able to predict Parkinson’s disease up to seven years before symptoms of the movement disorder surface, researchers said.

The test correctly predicted a high risk of Parkinson’s in 16 patients who went on to develop the disease, results show.

If validated, the test could help provide early treatment that might blunt or even block the onset of Parkinson’s, researchers said.

“As new therapies become available to treat Parkinson’s, we need to diagnose patients before they have developed the symptoms,” said senior researcher Kevin Mills, a professor with University College London.

Parkinson’s is caused by the death of nerve cells in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra, which controls …