When Charlton Heston passed away last weekend, somehow not from an accidental gunshot wound, he had been battling Alzheimer’s for six years.
US-based biotech company Power3 Medical Products claims to have developed a test that can detect Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Lou Gehrig’s six years before the diseases reveal themselves. Had Heston been offered the luxury of such far-sighted diagnosis between the time of his christiological walking tour and ascension to NRA straight-shooter, his most infamous utterance would possibly still be an eventuality.
The NuroPro test, despite being in the early stages of development, will be marketed to physicians in the United States and Greece later this year. Its creators claim 90% accuracy, though researchers are still examining 300 trial patients to determine if this is true.
Right now there is no diagnostic test for neurodegenerative diseases on the market. Genetically analyzing a set of 59 protein biomarkers in the blood, NuroPro can identify and distinguish between ailments without resorting to the often-inconclusive and cumbersome battery of tests currently used to diagnose neurone disease, including physicals and brain scans. With the benefit of foresight, patients may be able to forestall the onset of what ails them by cleaning up their lifestyles or opting for a preemptive drug regimen. It is of some concern, however, that those great racketeers of our time, insurance companies, will use the information to justify premium hikes.
A small price to pay, some might say, considering at least one alternative.
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