A significant advancement in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease using a straightforward blood test has been made by scientists. This method has proven to be substantially more precise than medical practitioners’ interpretation of cognitive exams and CT scans to identify the disease, according to the research findings reported recently.
The research, which was issued in the JAMA journal, demonstrated that in approximately 90% of cases, the blood test correctly determined if patients suffering from memory issues had Alzheimer’s. In contrast, dementia specialists utilising conventional methods excluding costly PET scans and intrusive spinal taps were 73% accurate, while primary care physicians only achieved a 61% accuracy rate using the same techniques.
The findings, shared at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Philadelphia, represent a significant step in the hunt for cost-effective and convenient Alzheimer’s diagnostic methods. Alzheimer’s disease affects over 32 million individuals globally.
Health professionals suggest that this development inches us closer to a future where routine blood tests for cognitive impairment could be as common as cholesterol screenings during standard health check-ups.
In recent times, numerous blood tests for Alzheimer’s have been created, primarily for eligible participant selection in clinical trials and specialist needs to identify whether a patient’s dementia is due to Alzheimer’s or another condition.
Even though the new research was carried out in Sweden, experts advise that, to utilise this method in America, the findings need to be validated within a diverse American demographic.
Experts stress that blood tests should only serve as an element of a screening procedure and crucially, should only be used for individuals showing memory loss and other cognitive decline symptoms. Those who are cognitively healthy shouldn’t take the test as a prediction of their susceptibility to Alzheimer’s.
Recommendations on testing may be revised if scientists discover medicines that can slow down or stop the progression of Alzheimer’s in individuals who haven’t yet shown cognitive issues.
The medical community agrees that blood tests should only be carried out after cognitive function tests and CT scans to rule out other potential causes such as strokes or brain tumours.
Blood test outcomes should be confirmed using acknowledged benchmark-testing methods like PET scans or spinal taps to gauge the amyloid protein levels, which build up and form plaques in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s. The original article was featured in The New York Times.