Researchers at King’s College London have developed a blood test that measures our biological age and tell us if we are at risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease.

The test is not available yet publicly — but if it were, would you take it?

Lisa Martinez, a 57-year-old freelance writer in Southern California, said she’d take the test.

“My mom had the disease, and while it’s a scary thought, being forewarned is smart. While my mental state is sharp, I’d want to know because then I’d make the important decisions,” she told LifeZette. “I’d also make sure my children are provided for and would take care of all financial costs associated with long-term health care for myself.”

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The test measures our “biological age,” which can be different from our chronological age.

“We use birth year, or chronological age, to judge everything from insurance premiums to whether you get a medical procedure or not. Most people accept that all 60-year-olds are not the same, but there has been no reliable test for underlying biological age,” James Timmons, a professor of precision medicine at King’s College London, told LifeZette.

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Timmons and his team studied healthy 70-year-old men and women by looking at the RNA of their blood cells. RNA sequencing give us information about the health of our cells. By knowing that our biological age is older than our chronological one, we can make adjustments in our diets and introduce exercise to stall, or even halt, some of the effects of aging.

However, making lifestyle changes to slow or halt Alzheimer’s disease is not an option at this time. Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., and there is no cure.

“Having this knowledge is power,” Heather Snyder, the senior director of medical and scientific operations at Alzheimer’s Association, told LifeZette. “In a recent report from the Alzheimer’s Association, we found that only 45 percent of people with Alzheimer’s — or their caregivers — were told by their physicians that they have the disease.”

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In contrast, more than 90 percent of people with the four most common forms of cancer (breast, lung, colorectal, and prostrate) say they were told by their doctors.

Snyder said “these disturbingly low disclosure rates in Alzheimer’s disease are reminiscent of rates seen for cancer in the 1950s and 1960s. Back then the word ‘cancer’ was taboo.”

The Alzheimer’s Association is a proponent of the right to know. Synder said if you or a loved one suspects having Alzheimer’s, you should talk to your doctor. Early detection, she said, allows you to:

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  • Explore different treatments that may provide some relief of the symptoms.
  • Maintain a level of independence longer.
  • Plan for the future and take part in decisions about care, transportation, living options, financial and legal matters, and which doctors to use.
  • Take that trip of a lifetime with your family while you are healthy.

Finally, if you’re a family member or close friend of someone who is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, you can become that person’s advocate.