A simple vial of blood may soon help forecast who develops Alzheimer's—and when. New research unveiled at this week's Alzheimer's Association International Conference in London suggests blood tests that measure amyloid and tau proteins can sharply improve diagnosis in people with memory problems and estimate future risk in those who are still cognitively healthy, reports the New York Times. In one unpublished study, primary care doctors went from being right about an Alzheimer's diagnosis 62% of the time to 88% once they had blood test data; the tests themselves were about 90% accurate, potentially offering a cheaper, more accessible alternative to PET scans and spinal taps—especially outside major medical centers.
A second study, published in JAMA, tracked nearly 2,700 older adults and found that higher levels of a form of tau known as p-tau217 were tied to markedly higher odds of developing cognitive impairment over five and 10 years. Very elevated levels translated to an estimated 78% risk over a decade, while only slightly raised levels meant a 45% risk. Still, experts warn the blood tests can trigger false positives—particularly in people with other health issues like kidney disease—and say they shouldn't yet be used alone to diagnose Alzheimer's or to screen symptom-free people. That could change, they add, if ongoing trials show that early treatment can delay or prevent the disease, per the Independent. In that case, blood tests would be "in widespread demand," the Times reports.
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