Blood Biomarkers Could Show Suicide Risk
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iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Is it possible to tell if a person is suicidal by checking their blood? Scientists say it can be done.
Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine contend, “We found some blood biomarkers, some changes in molecules in the blood, that are associated with having a high suicidal risk, and then we validated those changes in blood from suicide completers.”
After first speaking with 42 Caucasian men with bipolar disorder, including nine with suicidal thoughts, Dr. Alexander Niculescu III and his team examined their blood samples and then compared them to the specimens of nine men who had recently committed suicide.
Niculescu said he and other scientists found six molecules that appeared to correspond with suicidal thoughts and actions. They theorized that the molecules seem to have a far greater impact on people under extreme stress.
The Indiana University researchers say more studies are needed before they can make a definitive conclusion, including looking at non-white men and women.
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