Thursday, August 20, 2015

New Saliva Test for Alzheimers

As testing becomes more and more sophisticated and easier (see Theranos for simpler blood tests), one wonders what role the analytical aspects of a doctor will play, if anything at all.  With technology getting better and better and more widespead -- even sold by CVS for example), one wonders how doctor of the future must deal with such technologies.

Researchers present a new study that shows biomarkers in saliva may indicate early detection of Alzheimer's disease.

I believe, however, that even with such tests, the training that doctors get and should continue to get should be an integral part of not only their training but also how they will practice medicine.  Costs will be a consideration even if a test is good as well ease of use and false negatives that will give such tests credibility.

11 comments:

  1. Well this sounds like a powerful breakthrough to say the least! So many people are stricken with Alzheimers that we really do need to explore more developments on this. I will continue to follow updates on this.

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  2. Thats an amazing and interesting breakthrough in the field of brain studies. These days, I read somewhere that Alzheimers is striking at a very young age too. And There could be many unknown reasons to that.

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  3. Yes True the integrity ,commitment and efficiency of Doctors plays and important role in diagnosing and treating patients.Otherwise they will mere assistants with facilitating patients interaction with machines tests and pharmacies.Cost factor is a big issue which keep away patients from earlier diagnose of Serious diseases

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  4. Advancements in technology and medicine/science are amazing. However, there is no substitute for the expertise of a human being, in this case, doctors or related occupations, in interpreting results and date. Hence, technology and humans should work hand in hand to diagnose accurately Alzheimer's and other diseases.

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  5. Improvement in technology has been to bring many improvement in the world of medicine. This new saliva test for alzheimers will help a lot. I believe that modern doctors will be more equipped to deal with more illness in the future with the constant improvement on technology in the medical world.

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  6. I love reading articles such as this. This new diagnostic test can help so many people - similar to AIDS testing. When testing for diseases become so advanced and are easy to get (mouth swab), people's life and quality of life improve.

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  7. This article is very interesting. It shows how medical innovations and technological advancements are present in today's medical community. Just by getting a sample of saliva, one can already test an individual for Alzheimer's. This is a fascinating article indeed.

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  8. it's good to see new developments come along ro help ourstanding tof his horrible illness. It is very scarry thing to think of as we age.

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  9. it's good to see new developments come along ro help ourstanding tof his horrible illness. It is very scarry thing to think of as we age.

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  10. It is indeed very convenient that so many tests have been developed to help diagnose conditions faster and earlier. The earlier the detection, the earlier the intervention, which can often delay progression or increase possibility of cure. Still, doctor skills that include visual examination and touch should be practiced by physicians because patients need more than just tests and treatments to make them feel better. Knowing someone is sincerely concerned for their welfare is a big thing for patient recovery.

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  11. Technologies give better and faster results to anything. But future doctors shouldn't be threatened. Proper interpretation of results still needs professionals to read and explain the details.

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