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Research Shows Possibility Of Diagnosing Alzheimer's Through Saliva

BOSTON (CBS) -- Imagine being able to spit into a cup to find out if you're at risk for Alzheimer's Disease. As Dr. Mallika Marshall explains, that day may not be far off.

More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's, and that number could nearly triple by 2050. The disease is notoriously difficult to diagnose.

Now Canadian researchers may have found a cheap and non-invasive way to identify people with dementia, by analyzing certain substances in saliva.

The research is still preliminary, so we can't just ask someone to spit in a cup just yet, but that could be the future.

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