London: Researchers in the United Kingdom claim to have developed a blood test capable of detecting a disease eight years before.
According to international reports, researchers at the University of Duke in the UK conducted a study on osteoarthritis, a condition affecting the knees. They have identified chemicals in the blood that could indicate the onset of this condition.
Health experts claim that with this modern and unique blood test, joints and especially chronic knee diseases like osteoarthritis can be diagnosed eight years in advance.
Osteoarthritis is a common condition characterized by severe and chronic pain in the joints and especially the knees which typically occurs with advancing age but can also affect young people due to certain reasons.
According to medical journals, health experts conducted research on dozens of subjects over a 10-year period. The ages of these subjects ranged from 45 to 65 with a majority being women. During this time, subjects underwent X-rays and body mass index (BMI) tests.
Blood tests were conducted in the early stages of the research, two years later and then six years later followed by a final assessment of the subjects conditions.
Experts found that individuals at risk of osteoarthritis had higher levels of chemicals such as cartilage, synovium and peptides in their blood. A comparison was made between the levels of these three chemicals in blood tests conducted eight years later and X-rays and BMI tests revealing that those with issues in blood tests were diagnosed with osteoarthritis.
This groundbreaking blood test could revolutionize the early detection and treatment of osteoarthritis potentially improving the quality of life for millions of people worldwide.
