Some publicity is touting a blood test for the public to detect one’s future risk for the development of Alzheimer’s disease. This raises two important questions: Is such a test really available? And, if so, how reliable is it?.
In answer to the first part, a blood test is now available that claims the ability to detect Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms such as memory loss have started. This test was marketed to U.S. consumers in the summer of 2023. However, experts say that, at this point, this expensive new test has flaws and is not the best approach if you’re concerned about subsequently developing Alzheimer’s disease or other memory disorders. In the past, an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis could only be certain after death. That’s because diagnosis involved looking at brain tissues with a microscope to spot plaques composed of the protein “amyloid-beta,” and tangles, made of the protein “tau;” Thanks to developments in bio-marker tests, medical professionals and researchers can now use nuclear (PET) brain scans to detect the presence of plaques and tangles while a person is living. Also a specific test can detect amyloid-beta and tau proteins in the blood and spinal fluid. Nevertheless, testing for Alzheimer’s disease at a medical facility is a multi-step, complex process that involves integrating certain biomarkers and other data.
The current direct-to-consumer blood test uses only one measure of potential Alzheimer’s risk: amyloid-beta levels in the blood. While this is an important marker, the presence of high amyloid-beta levels alone is not sufficient for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease or predicting Alzheimer’s disease risk. One major study showed that, using this measure-alone, about 1 in 4 people in the target group — people over age 50 with a family history of the disease — would be misdiagnosed. Further, not enough research has been done — or made publicly available— on these tests to know their effectiveness in the general population, particularly among those with other medical conditions that may influence the test findings. The tests are presently not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
CONCLUSION
If you’re concerned about Alzheimer’s disease, discuss this with your healthcare provider, who is likely equipped with experience and expertise to provide a more accurate and thorough assessment. Or, at the very least, can refer you to a specialty source for such information.
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