The groundbreaking new blood test making Alzheimer’s diagnosis simpler

Detecting Alzheimer’s disease has become significantly easier with a groundbreaking blood test that now boasts 90 per cent accuracy in diagnosing the condition.

The innovative blood testing method measures levels of Plasma Phospho-Tau217 and can detect Alzheimer ’s-related changes before symptoms are evident and track progression as the disease advances, making it a superior alternative to current diagnostic methods.

The study into the blood test, conducted by researchers at Lund University in Sweden, included 1,213 individuals experiencing mild memory symptoms, a potential early sign of Alzheimer’s.

Of these, 515 were evaluated in primary care and 698 in a specialist memory clinic. These patients were tested using the blood test, and the test results were then confirmed with cerebrospinal fluid tests that can indicate Alzheimer’s disease pathology.

“The blood test can determine with 90% accuracy whether a person experiencing memory loss is suffering from Alzheimer’s,” said Sebastian Palmqvist, Associate Professor of Neurology at Lund University and a consultant at Skåne University Hospital, who co-led the study with Professor Oskar Hansson.

“Early diagnosis is crucial as new treatments that slow the disease’s progression are developed.

“For example, two immunotherapies have recently been approved in the USA and are expected to be available in Europe soon. An early and accurate diagnosis is also vital for facilitating research into new treatments.”

The blood test’s 90 percent accuracy in identifying Alzheimer’s disease was compared to doctors’ assessments in primary or specialist care, before the doctors saw the results of the blood test or cerebrospinal fluid test.

“Primary care doctors’ accuracy in identifying Alzheimer’s disease was 61 per cent, while specialist physicians were correct 73 per cent of the time. This underscores the lack of good, cost-effective diagnostic tools, particularly in primary care, and indicates the potential improvement in diagnosis with the adoption of this blood test in healthcare settings,” added Sebastian Palmqvist, Associate Professor of Neurology at Lund University and senior consultant at Skåne University Hospital.

Researchers hope the straightforward and reliable nature of the blood test will be widely adopted in healthcare settings.

“The next steps include establishing clear clinical guidelines for the blood test’s use in healthcare,” Hansson said.

“The test is already available in the USA and is likely to become available in many other countries soon.

“Initially, it will mainly be used in specialist memory clinics, and it may take approximately one to two years to implement guidelines and training in primary care.”