New Blood Test Diagnoses Alzheimer’s with 95% Accuracy, Mayo Clinic Study Confirms
FDA-Approved Blood Test Offers a Less Invasive, Cost-Effective Alternative to Traditional Alzheimer’s Diagnostic Methods.
Watan-A recent study led by researchers at the Mayo Clinic has confirmed the high accuracy of an FDA-approved blood test that can be used in clinical settings to diagnose and manage memory-related disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease.
Published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the study emphasizes that Alzheimer’s—which causes memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and behavioral changes—can be devastating for patients and their families.
With the availability of new treatments for early-stage Alzheimer’s, there is a growing need for accessible and cost-effective diagnostic tools that allow early detection.
Blood Test Rivals Traditional Alzheimer’s Diagnostics with 95% Accuracy
According to Dr. Gregory Day, lead author and neurologist at Mayo Clinic,“Our study found that the blood test confirmed Alzheimer’s diagnoses with 95% sensitivity—a rate comparable to cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, while being more practical and cost-effective.”
The test focuses on identifying toxic protein buildups in the brain by analyzing plasma concentrations of key biomarkers.
The study involved over 500 patients at the Mayo Clinic’s Florida Memory Disorders Clinic, ranging in age from 32 to 89, with an average age of symptom onset at 66 years. Conditions studied included mild and advanced cognitive decline, typical and atypical Alzheimer’s, Lewy body dementia, and vascular cognitive impairment.
p-tau 217 Biomarker Shows High Accuracy in Alzheimer’s Detection Across Patient Groups
Researchers particularly focused on two proteins in blood plasma associated with amyloid plaque buildup, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. They found that levels of p-tau 217 were significantly higher in Alzheimer’s patients and were strongly correlated with cognitive impairment.
Among the 509 patients tested, 267 showed positive results, including 233 out of 246 who had Alzheimer’s-linked cognitive impairment, confirming the test’s 95% diagnostic sensitivity.
Researchers also noted the importance of accounting for kidney function, as it can affect plasma biomarker levels.
Dr. Day concluded that next steps include testing the blood biomarker in more diverse patient groups, including those in early stages or with no symptoms, and assessing other disease-specific factors that could impact test accuracy in clinical trials.
