It is a disease that is, unfortunately, gaining more and more ground. According to figures from Public Health France, 12.5% of people aged 18 to 85 experienced a serious depressive episode in 2021. Among young adults (18-24 years old), the trend is particularly visible. In this age group, the occurrence of these episodes jumped by 80% between 2017 and 2021 to now concern one in 5 young people. Disorders to which are sometimes added suicidal thoughts, sometimes going as far as attempts.
So many symptoms that can be wrongly associated with bipolarity. But as BFMTV spotted, the Synlab and Alcediag laboratories will offer, starting next month, a blood test which, according to a press release published this Friday, should make it possible to “differentiate between depression and bipolar disorders”. Called “myEDIT-B”, it is based on “next generation sequencing (NGS) of RNA in the blood, coupled with an algorithm based on artificial intelligence”, we can read in the press release. Several data are thus taken into account: age, sex, current treatments and addictions. Both laboratories promise 80% reliable tests.
Towards better care?
However, it will be necessary to benefit from the prescription of a psychiatrist. “The doctor’s prescription must necessarily be accompanied by a clinical information sheet signed by the doctor and a consent form to the conditions of use of the test, signed by the patient,” specifies the press release.
The results are available just one month after the blood test, which constitutes a small revolution in the field. “Published studies show that it takes on average 8 to 10 years to diagnose bipolar disorders,” recall the two laboratories. Figures which hide significant disparities since according to a survey carried out in 2023 by the Bipolarité France association, “20% of respondents had confirmation of the diagnosis more than 15 years after the appearance of the first symptoms”.
However, it is essential to diagnose these two pathologies as quickly as possible, which can cause disastrous consequences for the people who suffer from them. “Social isolation, academic or professional difficulties, addictions, dangerous behavior (sexual, financial, etc.), sleep disorders, and for half of the patients suicide attempts,” lists the press release. And, as with every disease, early diagnosis leads to more effective treatment.