According to a new study, a blood test for proteins could predict who if a person is at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease ten years before they suffer symptoms.

The researcher said that certain proteins in the blood called lysosomal proteins could act as biomarkers and show if a person may the disease later.

The researchers discovered that blood levels of these proteins were higher in people with normal memory and thinking abilities up to 10 years before they developed Alzheimer's disease.

The study was conducted by a research team under Dr. Edward Goetz, professor of medicine with the University of California, San Francisco.

For the study, the team looked at blood samples taken from 20 people who later went on to develop Alzheimer's disease. The blood samples were taken up to 10 years before the people were diagnosed with the disease.

The researchers also took samples from those already suffering from the condition as well as those who did not have any problems with thinking or memory.

They found that level of protein was significantly different for the healthy people compared to those with dementia, both before and after symptoms developed.

Gordon Wilcock, emeritus professor of clinical geratology at the University of Oxford, said, "This is important as it suggests that altered blood proteins may be a marker of early Alzheimer's disease, possibly 10 years before significant memory problems develop".

The results were also welcomed by Dr Eric Karran from Alzheimer's Research UK. He said this is one of an emerging research area that might hold real promise for early diagnosis of some neuro-degenerative diseases.

The study results were published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.