The encouraging findings come amid a larger effort to develop a cheap, simple blood test that could quickly diagnose Alzheimer’s patients without forcing them to undergo more expensive, invasive tests such as spinal taps, which are already used in doctors’ offices but often not covered by insurance. Cost Calculation Over a few hundred dollars.
“Overall, this is a good addition to a rapidly growing body of literature, but it’s not necessarily a game-changer in itself,” said Cliff Abrahams, a professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of Otago in New Zealand, who was not involved in the study.
The study authors pooled data on patients with cognitive symptoms, with an average age of 74. Of these, approximately 23% had subjective cognitive decline, 44% had mild cognitive impairment, and 33% had dementia.
The authors measured levels of p-tau217, a protein that builds up and causes damage in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, and amyloid beta, another protein that is considered a biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease.
“It’s clear, but not surprising, that a blood test has greater diagnostic accuracy than clinical assessments, such as cognitive tests, which only give indirect information about brain health,” Abraham said.
An alternative to diagnosing Alzheimer’s is a PET scan, but this can cost more than $5,000. Covered Although it is subsidized by Medicare except for clinical trials, spinal taps are invasive.
The study adds to evidence that diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease may soon become faster and easier. A faster, more accurate diagnosis could help patients and their families prepare for medical expenses, participate in clinical trials, and anticipate care needs, the team said. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. Over 6 million AmericansAlthough younger people can get Alzheimer’s, most patients are older adults, and according to the CDC, the number of people over age 65 with the disease doubles every five years. Up to 14 million Americans could have Alzheimer’s by 2060.
The disease begins with mild memory loss, but as it progresses, patients can lose the ability to hold a conversation. It is one of the top 10 causes of death in the United States, and mortality rates are rising. There are medications that can slow the progression of the disease, but there is no cure.
