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Elevated levels of an enzyme called PHGDH in the blood of older adults could be an early warning sign of Alzheimer’s disease, and a study led by the University of California San Diego (UCSD) provides new evidence to support this claim. In analyzing brain tissue, researchers observed a trend consistent with their previous findings in blood samples: expression levels of the gene coding for PHGDH were consistently higher in adults with different stages of Alzheimer’s disease, even in the early stages before cognitive symptoms manifested. The findings also prompt caution against the use of dietary supplements that contain the amino acid serine as a remedy for Alzheimer’s disease. Because PHGDH is a key enzyme in the production of serine, the increased PHGDH expression found in Alzheim...

Scotland's national clinical director, Prof Jason Leitch, speaking about the UK as a whole, said: "The mainstream assumption is that second boosters - fourth jabs - will be offered to the over-65s in the autumn, perhaps the over-50s, perhaps the wider population.