Until now, detection of physiological changes due to Alzheimer’s disease was done through expensive or invasive tests such as spinal fluid tests and brain scans. Researcher Shaun Frost of Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization wondered whether examining the retina, which is in close proximity to the brain, could offer a more cost-efficient and non-invasive way to detect these changes.

Frost found that the width of the blood vessels in people with early Alzheimer’s disease was significantly different from those of healthy people, and that those with abnormal vessels also had plaque deposits in their brains.  More research needs to be done to show causality, but the potential for early detection of Alzheimer’s through a simple retinal screening has much promise.

For an article on this study, click here ^[1].

Risa Schulman, PhD
Expert, Healthy Food and Dietary Supplement Science, Marketing and Regulatory
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