What Blood Shows Scientists About Suicide Risk
Blood Biomarkers Wikimedia Commons A new study of bipolar patients brings researchers closer to creating a blood test for suicidal thoughts. Suicide was responsible for more deaths than motor vehicle crashes were in 2009, but it's not always easy for doctors to tell when someone is at risk. A new study from the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Indianapolis VA Medical Center has identified a series of biomarkers that could help identify those at risk for suicide with something as simple as a blood test. Researchers have been looking to biomarkers--traceable biological characteristics, like a certain molecule or gene in the body--that could indicate that a person is at a greater risk for suicide. As of right now, a few different potential biomarkers for suicidal thoughts and behavior have been studied, but none are being used in psychiatric practice yet. To discover potential changes in gene expression associated...