Earlier detection of Alzheimer’s disease may be possible thanks to specific eye examinations and odor identification in patients.

Four research trials reported at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference® 2014 (AAIC® 2014) in Copenhagen showed that eye exams that identify a build up of a protein called beta-amyloid, which is associated with Alzheimer’s, as well as a reduced ability to identify specific smells can indicate the early onset of the disease.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., and more than five million Americans live with the disease.

The studies showed a correlation between the decreased ability to distinguish certain smells and the cognitive impairment associated with Alzheimer’s. The studies also showed an important association between an increased level of beta-amyloid in the eye and the detrimental effects of this protein in the brain. Both these findings allowed the study’s researchers to accurately identify people who were experiencing the early onset of Alzheimer’s.

Heather Snyder, Ph.D., Alzheimer’s Association director of Medical and Scientific Operations, and colleagues examined the findings in light of the fact that beta-amyloid has been known to build up in the brain long before patient’s with Alzheimer’s start to lose their memory or experience other cognitive issues.

“In the face of the growing worldwide Alzheimer’s disease epidemic, there is a pressing need for simple, less invasive diagnostic tests that will identify the risk of Alzheimer’s much earlier in the disease process. This is especially true as Alzheimer’s researchers move treatment and prevention trials earlier in the course of the disease,” said Snyder in a statement.