New Blood Test Could Help Doctors Detect Alzheimer’s Faster

There are a crop of a new blood tests out there that could help doctors detect Alzheimer’s disease faster and more accurately.

However, while scientists are excited about the potential to help millions of people, the tests aren’t widely used yet because there isn’t enough data to guide doctors about which tests to order and when. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) also hasn’t formally approved any of the tests and insurance doesn’t cover them.

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Alzheimer’s affects more than 6 million people in the United States. It’s the most common form of dementia. New drugs such as Leqembi and Kisunla can modestly slow worsening symptoms, but they only work in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s. Qualifying patients can be difficult because PET scans are costly and a spinal tap is invasive. 

So far, blood tests have been used in research settings. However, a new study of about 1,200 patients in Sweden shows they can work in doctors’ offices. In the study, patients were given traditional exams for memory complaints, followed by blood tests and then a spinal tap or brain scan for confirmation.

It turned out that the blood test was far more accurate than the traditional tests. The doctor’s initial diagnosis was 61% accurate and the specialists were 73% accurate. But, the blood test was 91% accurate. These findings were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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“Doctors and researchers should only use blood tests proven to have a greater than 90% accuracy rate,” said Alzheimer’s Association chief science officer Maria Carrillo.

Doctors are only able to order the tests from labs. The Alzheimer’s Association is working on guidelines. Several companies are also planning to see FDA approval to clarify the proper use of the tests.

The blood tests aren’t for people who don’t have symptoms of Alzheimer’s, but worry about the disease running in the family. That’s because problems could start two decades before the first sign of memory problems. Right now, there are no preventive steps other than the basic advice to eat healthy, exercise and get enough sleep.

Studies are underway for testing people at a high risk of Alzheimer’s and some of those tests include blood testing.

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