Researchers looking at urine test to detect Alzheimer's disease

BOSTON - One day, doctors may be able to diagnose Alzheimer's disease with a simple urine test.

Currently, diagnostic tests for Alzheimer's disease involve blood tests, spinal taps, and expensive brain scans involving radiation.

But researchers in China studied 574 people with varying degrees of cognitive function and found formic acid in the urine of people with mild symptoms.

They say one day this simple, inexpensive urine test could be used on a large large-scale to diagnose and screen people for Alzheimer's disease early on when treatment might still provide some benefit.