A blood test may soon be able to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease.
- A blood test called ALZpath could soon help detect Alzheimer’s disease.
- Researchers found that this blood test was as accurate as spinal tap-based tests and superior to assessments of brain atrophy in identifying early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
- Around 900,000 people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease today in France.
According to a new studya blood test called ALZpath could soon help detect Alzheimer’s disease.
“Phosphorylated tau (p-tau) is a specific blood biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease, explain the researchers in the introduction. Their objective was therefore to “determine the usefulness of the new ALZpath blood test already commercially available to detect Alzheimer’s disease”, they write in their report.
Alzheimer’s: a blood test as precise as current, more restrictive tests
The research consisted of analyzing data from different trials carried out in the United States, Canada and Spain, with 786 people, with or without cognitive disorders. In all three trials, patients underwent a lumbar puncture or amyloid PET scan to identify amyloid and tau proteins. The team then compared the results with those of the ALZpath blood test.
Researchers then discovered that the blood test was as accurate as spinal tap-based tests and was superior to assessments of brain atrophy in identifying early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
“80% of individuals could be diagnosed based on a blood test without any further investigation,” said the study director.
“It’s simply impossible to perform lumbar punctures and brain scans on everyone in the world who needs them. So that’s where the blood test has huge potential,” he continued.
“This new study also indicates that the results of these tests may be clear enough to not require further testing in some people with Alzheimer’s disease, which could significantly speed up the diagnostic process in the future,” adds Dr Richard Oakley, associate director of research and innovation at the Alzheimer’s Society.
Around 900,000 people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease
Rare before the age of 65, Alzheimer’s disease first manifests itself through memory loss, followed over the years by more general and disabling cognitive disorders.
Among cases occurring in people under 65, 10% concern people suffering from rare hereditary familial forms of the disease. After this age, the frequency of the disease rises to 2 to 4% of the general population. It increases rapidly to reach 15% of the population at age 80.
“Thus, around 900,000 people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease today in France. There should be 1.3 million in 2020, taking into account the increase in life expectancy”, indicates Inserm.
