A simple finger prick blood test may be the next medical advancement in diagnosing Alzheimer’s. It might even make it possible to test at home, according to new research out Wednesday.
“This is so exciting, because among the many issues with Alzheimer's disease is that many people who have it don't find out that they do, especially in the earliest stages of the disease,” Dr. Carolyn Fredericks, Yale School of Medicine associate professor of neurology, said.
Research presented for the first time at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference shows the blood test was more than 80% accurate in identifying changes related to the disease.
“These blood tests can accurately tell you whether you have the presence of abnormal Alzheimer's proteins in the blood, and we know that corresponds really well to whether those proteins are in the brain,” Fredericks said.
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Researchers say the finger prick would be quick and non-invasive, and samples could be taken at home, then easily transported for testing.
Fredericks, a memories disorders specialists, says once the blood tests in the pilot study are further verified and approved, this new tool could be publicly available in a year or two. If it is, it may lead to earlier diagnoses.
“This can make especially primary care doctors that much more confident about their diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, which previously was mostly clinical with some support from imaging data, like MRIs of the brain or spinal fluids data. But of course, a blood test is much more straightforward than that kind of approach,” Fredericks said.
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The findings are timely, according to the Connecticut Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. They say early diagnosis could mean the gift of time.
“This is a new era of treatment that we are in,” Kristen Cusato, director of communications, said. “There are two medications approved by the FDA for those in the early stages that can really slow cognitive decline. There's a third on the way. If people knew that they may go get diagnosed earlier, so they can take part in these things with their families, and have more time at this certain early stage of the disease.”
