MLD is the sole owner of patents for measuring plasmalogens as a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological disorders. The MLD Plasmalogen Index test is currently a validated lab developed test that is run in MLD’s laboratories. A tandem MS plasmalogen kit compatible with current triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry platforms is in development and
Plasmalogen levels vary among the general population. Those with the lowest plasmalogen levels have the highest risk for developing dementia, while those with the highest plasmalogen levels have the lowest risk. Another way to think about it is that, on average, there is at least a 20-year delay for a group of subjects with high plasmalogens to reach the same incident rate of Alzheimer's disease as subjects with the lowest plasmalogens (bottom figure). Or, someone aged 80 to 84 with high plasmalogen levels (a negative test) has less than 10% probability of Alzheimer's, while a similarly aged person with low plasmalogen levels has a 50% probability.
The MLD Plasmalogen Index Test is a blood test that identifies increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease among the general population by determining the levels of specific lipids, called plasmalogens, in your blood. If your plasmalogen levels are too low (a positive Plasmalogen Index test), your risk of Alzheimer’s disease is increased.
Plasmalogens are specific lipids that are crucial for communication between neurons. If the levels become too low in the body, neurons lose their ability to communicate, resulting in cognitive decline.
However, a low plasmalogen level DOES NOT mean that you have Alzheimer’s disease – just that your risk of Alzheimer’s disease is increased. The Plasmalogen Index Test can detect a low plasmalogen level up to seven years before any signs of dementia appear.
The Plasmalogen Index test is intended for use in risk assessment and monitoring; it is not a standalone diagnostic test, and is not a screening test for Alzheimer’s Disease.
Publications
Peripheral ethanolamine plasmalogen deficiency: a logical causative factor in Alzheimer's disease and dementia. J Lipid Res. 2007 Nov;48(11):2485-98.
Circulating plasmalogen levels and Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive scores in Alzheimer patients. J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2010 Jan;35(1):59-62.
Plasmalogen Deficit: A New and Testable Hypothesis for the Etiology of Alzheimer’s Disease. Chapter from the book Alzheimer's Disease Pathogenesis-Core Concepts, Shifting Paradigms and Therapeutic Targets, Publisher: InTech, Chapters published September 12, 2011.