A breakthrough has been achieved in the medical field. Scientists may have found a way to detect one of the most dangerous and devastating diseases that affect humans. With this new information those who will get the disease will know ahead of time and researchers can focus on them when testing new drugs and treatments.

According to CNN, scientists and researchers at various institutions including Georgetown University Medical Center and University of Rochester Medical Center discovered the new blood test and published their findings in a report in the Nature Medicine journal.

The researchers aimed to find a blood test to find signs of those who will get Alzheimer's in the future. They were not sure whether to look for signs in DNA or RNA but at the end they decided to start with fats since it was the easiest and least expensive procedure. According to CNN, they drew blood from hundreds of healthy elderly people from the Rochester, N.Y. area and the Irvine, Calif. area. After five years they retested those 28 people who had developed Alzheimer's or the early signs of it.

To compare their findings, researchers also drew blood samples from a different group of people with Alzheimer's or mild cognitive impairment. In both groups they discovered low quantities of 10 particular lipids. The test has 90 per cent accuracy in detecting who will have Alzheimer's.

This will be very useful for research as well as those affected. According to a recent study done by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Alzheimer's is the third leading cause of death in the United States after cancer and heart disease. "Scientists told us we need $2 billion a year over the coming 10 years" to see significant advancement in treatment and prevention, said Keith Fargo, director of Scientific Programs and Outreach at the Alzheimer's Association. According to the Washington Post, only $484 million was invested into research by the government.

"Alzheimer's disease is a serious disease and it needs to be taken seriously, and if we have the right kind of investment as a country, then we will be able to make strides similar to what we've made in heart disease, HIV and cancer," explained Fargo. With this new discovery, according to CNN, research can be focused on those affected and the lipids can be studied to create a drug in the future.