A new blood test offers a promising and accessible alternative for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Research by the American Mayo Clinic shows that the test can detect the presence of Alzheimer's in people with cognitive impairments with 95% accuracy in an outpatient setting. The findings have been published in Alzheimer's & Dementia and highlight the rise of innovative diagnostics in elderly care.
Alzheimer's is a progressive brain disease that causes memory loss, behavioral changes, and declining cognitive functions. Understanding the disease at an early stage is of great importance, especially now that more and more treatment options are becoming available. However, current standard methods, such as PET scans and spinal taps, are costly and invasive. The demand for accessible, non-invasive, and affordable diagnostic solutions is therefore growing rapidly.
Simpler, cheaper, yet accurate
The blood test, which has already been approved by the FDA, measures the presence of two biomarkers in blood plasma: Aβ42/40 and p-tau217 – proteins associated with the characteristic amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease. The p-tau217 biomarker proved to be particularly reliable in this study: elevated concentrations of this biomarker were found in 95% of patients with Alzheimer's-related memory problems.
“Our results show that this blood test is just as reliable in clinical practice as the biomarkers we measure via cerebrospinal fluid, but much simpler and less stressful for the patient,” said Dr. Gregg Day, neurologist and researcher at Mayo Clinic.
Application in research and practice
The test was administered to more than 500 patients at the Mayo Clinic Florida Memory Clinic, ranging in age from 32 to 89. The participants had various forms of memory impairment, including typical and atypical Alzheimer's, Lewy body dementia, and vascular dementia. In 56% of cases, Alzheimer's was identified as the main cause of the symptoms.
The researchers saw potential for application not only in daily care, but also in research practice. The blood test can help select suitable participants for clinical studies and monitor the effect of treatments.
Broader application and personalization
The research team emphasizes that further validation is needed, particularly in patients from different ethnic backgrounds and people who are still in the early stages of the disease, without clear cognitive symptoms. In addition, attention is being paid to the influence of comorbidities, such as kidney disease, on the test results—something that is important for a reliable interpretation of the biomarker values.
The research was presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology. The development highlights the growing role of blood-based biomarkers in the transformation of dementia care. With this technological advance, faster, more patient-friendly, and affordable Alzheimer's diagnosis is one step closer.
Similar research
In 2023, new guidelines for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease were presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) in Amsterdam. A blood test, co-developed by Amsterdam UMC, makes it possible to effectively analyze biomarkers and thus determine whether a patient has the disease. This biomarker method is also used in the diagnosis of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The guidelines were developed by doctors and researchers worldwide and emphasize the importance of biomarkers in addition to cognitive decline in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
