Higher levels of copper have been found in the blood of patients with Alzheimer's disease, according to Italian researchers who are hopeful their findings will lead to a new way to test for the disease.

Investigators conducted a study to determine whether trace metals could be linked to Alzheimer's disease. Serum peroxides, copper, iron, transferring and antioxidant capacity were measured in 79 patients with Alzheimer's disease (average age 74.3; 25 men, 54 women) and 76 individuals without cognitive impairment (average age 70.1; 33 men, 43 women).

The relation of these oxidative and trace metals to the Apo e4 gene (the presence of which is a suspected risk factor for Alzheimer's disease), neuropsychological performance, and cerebrovascular status was tested using brain MRI and an ultrasound of cerebral vessels.

Copper levels were 54 percent higher in subjects with Alzheimer's disease than in the control group, according to the report in the journal Neurology.

Also, patients with Alzheimer's disease were nearly four times more likely to have the Apo e4 gene, which has been linked to a decrease in the body's antioxidant levels, possibly contributing to the disease process.

"Copper may play a role in neurodegenerative processes in Alzheimer's disease," concluded the researchers. Measuring blood levels of copper may prove to be a means of diagnosing the condition, they added.

Other sources: Neurology