BROOKHAVEN, Ga. - Researchers at Emory University’s Goizueta Brain Health Institute believe they may be close to a major breakthrough in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease — one that could soon allow doctors to detect the illness through a simple blood test.

What they're saying:

Dr. Erik Johnson, who has studied Alzheimer’s for 15 years, led a team that discovered key changes in the blood that appear to precede the disease.

"There are many changes in the blood, for instance with the immune system being too activated and proteins not being made properly or degraded properly or not metabolizing sugar properly — setting people up for Alzheimer’s disease," Johnson said.

Researchers hope the findings will lead to an early detection tool that could catch and eventually treat Alzheimer’s

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