The time of day when blood is taken can affect the results of tests for diagnosing dementia, according to new research led by the University of Surrey. Researchers found that the biomarkers used to diagnose Alzheimer's, including a promising marker for early diagnosis of the condition, varied significantly depending on the time of day. Biomarker levels were at their lowest in the morning when participants woke and highest in the evening.
The p-tau217 biomarker, which could help with early diagnosis of dementia, showed big differences depending on the time of day. Researchers discovered that the variation between morning and evening levels was similar to the changes seen in people whose mild memory problems get worse over a year. Dr Ciro della Monica, research fellow at the Surrey Sleep Research Centre at the University of Surrey and first author of the publication, said: This work shows the importance of considering the time of day when taking clinical diagnostic samples and how the clinical picture for an individual may be affected by varying sample times.
By standardizing the time of day that a sample is taken, the diagnosis of dementia and tracking disease progression can become more accurate." Dr. Ciro della Monica, Research Fellow, Surrey Sleep Research Centre, University of Surrey The study looked at 38 participants living with mild Alzheimer's, their caregivers and health controls while they were residents at the Surrey Sleep Research Centre, which is part of the UK De.
