WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - At a recent international Alzheimer's conference in Philadelphia, a study was presented demonstrating the potential of blood tests in accurately identifying Alzheimer's disease characteristics.
The study, conducted on 1,213 patients with an average age of 74 in Sweden between 2020 and 2024, revealed that a blood test measuring Plasma Phospho-Tau217 levels could effectively detect Alzheimer's pathology in the brain with an accuracy of 90%.
By analyzing p-tau217 levels and combining the results with beta-amyloid 40/42 measurements, researchers developed a final score that allowed for the early detection of the disease, even prior to the onset of symptoms.
Oskar Hansson, head of the Clinical Memory Research Unit at Lund University, Sweden, emphasized the potential of this blood test to accurately detect Alzheimer's disease, with primary care doctors achieving 61% accuracy and specialists 73% accuracy, while the blood test demonstrated an accuracy of 90%. Furthermore, the study suggests that this advancement could reduce the reliance on more complex and costly procedures such as PET scans and cerebrospinal fluid tests.
Despite the promising results, Hansson acknowledged that further studies in the U.S. and other countries are necessary to understand the generalizability of the findings. He also noted that it may take one to two years before clinical guidelines for the use of blood tests in primary care are established.
While no Alzheimer's blood tests are currently FDA-approved, these developments signify a potential shift in Alzheimer's disease diagnostics, with blood tests showing promise as an accessible and accurate method for early detection.
Rebecca Edelmayer, senior director of scientific engagement at the Alzheimer's Association, told Axios that the organization has urged experts to revise clinical practice guidelines regarding blood test usage, intending to issue new recommendations by early 2025.
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