This blood test can predict dementia risk up to 25 years before diagnosis

A new test may get to the heart of your dementia risk several years before any symptoms emerge.

Dementia, which affects over 6 million Americans, impacts memory, language and problem-solving skills.

Early detection is key for improving quality of life, expanding treatment options and enabling better life planning.

Now, a new study in the European Heart Journal reports that a cardiac troponin test can tell whether someone has a greater chance of developing dementia — up to 25 years before a diagnosis.

The findings link higher levels of cardiac troponin (a protein released from damaged heart muscle) in midlife to an increased risk of faster cognitive decline and greater brain shrinking in later life.

The blood test — which is typically administered to people who suffer heart attacks and is sold online for $89.95 — was given to nearly 6,000 middle-aged Brits who had experienced minor heart muscle damage.

Researchers tested their cognitive functioning routinely over two decades.

Those with high cardiac troponin levels (above 5.2 nanograms per liter) had lower cognitive function scores at 80 years old and even lower scores 10 years later, at 90.

Participants with more of the blood protein also had a lower volume of grey matter, brain tissue that’s important for processing information, learning and memory.

Those with higher levels were also 18% more likely to experience brain shrinkage as they got older.

For those who developed dementia, the blood protein levels were consistently higher, even as early as seven years before the condition was detected.

Dementia can potentially be predicted up to 10 years before signs first appear, thanks to highly accurate blood tests, functional MRIs and other cognitive testing.

Although it’s often diagnosed in a person’s 60s, symptoms like trouble with memory, attention or communication can appear in someone’s 40s.

Certain factors can even predict high risk, like age, family history, stroke incidence, high blood pressure and more.

There are no sure-fire ways to prevent dementia, but addressing modifiable risk factors like smoking and hearing loss can help.