The diagnosis of conditions like diabetes, dementia and Alzheimer's could be done with something as simple as taking a blood test, after scientists from the University of Bath made a breakthrough in developing a new technique.
The researchers from the departments of biology, biochemistry and chemistry at the University of Bath found that the process of ageing involves proteins reacting with sugars in the body.
That damages the protein's function, which can then lead to the kinds of diseases like dementia, associated with ageing.
So the team of scientists have developed a new technique that can spot levels of glycated proteins in the blood or in tissue samples, and that can then be used to detect whether the conditions are right for the likes of diabetes, dementia and Alzheimer's to develop.
They have published their new technique in medical journals, and explained that it is based in passing electric currents through samples in a very thin layer of gel.
Dr Jean Van Den Elsen said: "We are using our technique to understand how these age-related diseases work."
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