A number of research projects are underway to develop a sensitive blood test that could help screen people for Alzheimer’s disease in a less invasive and costly way than current imaging and biomarker tests. NIA-supported researchers at Washington University in St. Louis reported an advance in Neurology for their method of detecting amyloid protein in the blood. The researchers are validating the method by showing an association between blood levels of amyloid and results from conventional biomarker tests for Alzheimer’s.

The authors note that studies are already in progress to further evaluate this method with people who have symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. After more development and validation, this blood test method may help researchers quickly screen people for eligibility in Alzheimer’s studies.

In a perfect world everything would be diagnosed with a simple blood test but just imagine the relief not only for the patient but for those caring for someone with suspected Alzheimer’s disease. To be able to diagnose accurately, without invasive, costly, and time-consuming testing, wow, that’s amazing! Let’s hope this research continues, it might not cure the disease, but it most definitely will improve the quality of life for all involved! Stay well, stay safe, mask up, and stay tuned!