Researchers at Stanford University have developed a potentially pathbreaking blood test that, according to preliminary studies, is able to identify patients with Alzheimer’s disease – an ailment that has been notoriously difficult to diagnose.
The story’s suggestion that the spinal fluid analysis used in the study is 100 percent accurate is, in fact, inaccurate. (The "can be 100% accurate" phrase is misleading and unhelpful.) The specificity of the test – about 1/3 of those who tested positive had no evidence of Alzheimer’s – is a big issue.
This WebMD report on the results of experiments with a drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease covers the basics, but readers are likely to perceive a bigger research advance than those who see the more-careful AP story we also reviewed.
An interesting and fairly informative piece about male infertility with a news hook based on a new fertility test.
A provocative new theory suggests that one root cause of Alzheimer’s disease is linked to diabetes — a theory about to be tested in thousands of Alzheimer’s patients given the diabetes drug Avandia in hopes of slowing brain decay.
Solid medical conference reporting, with many expert interviews and good context provided. Goes far beyond the conference presentation itself.
The FDA approved a new gene test Tuesday to help predict whether women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer will relapse in five or 10 years.
This is an important area of research, but inadequately explained in this story.
The story raises appropriate questions about evidence for a new genetic test of a woman’s risk of a common breast cancer. Expert interviews suggest that the test may have more cons than pros.
A new study says we may soon be able to take a simple blood test to find out if we have Alzheimer’s, even years before there is any sign of symptoms.
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