Tokyo, Japan

To advance methods of diagnosing Alzeihmers which is affecting millions of people around the world, Japan has approved a blood test kit to measure it, manufacturing company Sysmex Corporation said on Thursday. 

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Since the existing diagnosis is expensive and intrusive, the firm is trying to develop a kit that falls in the affordable range and identifies the accumulation of a protein to solve the disease problem and launch it in the market as soon as possible. 

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The company said, "Sysmex has been developing a technology to more quickly and readily identify the accumulation of (amyloid beta) in the brain in order to solve issues in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease."

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It added, "Unlike conventional testing methods... (the kit) allows testing with blood, thus reducing the physical, emotional, and financial burden on patients."

Alzheimer's is a progressive disease that destroys one memory and other important memory. There are two critical points for it, tau and amyloid beta which build up into tangles and plaques causing brain cells to die and leading to brain shrinkage.

A US-based group, the Alzheimer Association, said that if successful the firm is set to revolutionise the diagnostic process for Alzheimer's and other dementia. 

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It said, "an urgent need exists for simple, inexpensive, non-invasive and easily available diagnostic tools such as blood tests to diagnose the disease".

Medical experts and researchers are working on developing an effective tool to diagnose the disease. 

Last month, a drug called 'lecanemab' successfully slowed cognitive decline in Alzheimer's patients by nearly 27 per cent during an 18-month trial period. 

But the data also showed that it has adverse effects including brain bleeds and swelling. 

(With inputs from agencies)

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