Study shows a blood test can help identify healthy people at high risk for Alzheimer's disease - ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
A new study published in JAMA suggests that a blood test measuring p-tau217 can help identify healthy older adults at high risk for developing Alzheimer's disease. Experts caution that the test is currently intended for research and clinical trial enrollment rather than routine diagnostic use.
Why it matters
Advancements in early detection for neurodegenerative diseases are critical for future drug development and preventative care.
WASHINGTON -- A blood test may predict if apparently healthy older adults are likely to develop Alzheimer’s symptoms in the next five or 10 years, researchers reported Wednesday.
That information could be reassuring or terrifying, but for now it's a potential tool to speed drug development by helping to identify and enroll high-risk people into studies of possible Alzheimer's treatments or preventive strategies.
Already large clinical trials are testing if certain drugs could prevent or at least delay the disease — and if any of those pan out, doctors will need an easy way to tell who should try them.
The scientists behind the new study stress that it’s too soon for healthy people to seek out the so-called p-tau217 test, which is currently used to help diagnose whether people experiencing cognitive problems have Alzheimer’s or another disorder.
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