Blood test could predict when Alzheimer’s symptoms will start years in advance
“This could transform how researchers design clinical trials and, eventually, how clinicians identify people at highest risk for cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s years before decline begins,” Chicago-based Rebecca M. Edelmayer, PhD, vice president of scientific engagement at the Alzheimer’s Association, told Fox News Digital.
“A blood test is generally much less expensive and easier to administer than a brain scan or spinal‑fluid test. In the future, it could help doctors and researchers identify people who may benefit from early treatments,” added Edelmayer, who was not involved in the study.
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The study did have some limitations and caveats.
“We were only able to make predictions for individuals whose p-Tau217 levels fell within a certain range, although it was a fairly wide range,” Petersen shared. “The models were developed in relatively healthy and well-educated research cohorts that were not diverse, so the results may not apply well to the broader population.”
The research suggests that age and disease-related changes in the brain can influence how quickly Alzheimer’s symptoms become apparent (iStock)
While the researchers referenced in-home blood tests in this study, they cautioned against people seeking out and taking these tests themselves.
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“At this point, we do not recommend that any cognitively unimpaired individuals have any Alzheimer’s disease biomarker test,” Dr. Suzanne Schindler, a neurologist at Washington University who was a co-author of the study, said in the press release.
Peterson acknowledged that these results are still experimental and ripe for improvement.
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“The current estimate is not yet accurate enough for clinical use or personal medical decision-making, but we expect that it will be possible to create more accurate models,” he told Fox News Digital.
Looking ahead, the team hopes to refine the test by researching other Alzheimer’s-linked proteins to narrow the margin of error, Schindler said. More diverse participants are also needed to confirm the results.
Two large clinical trials are in progress to determine whether people with high levels of the protein can benefit from treatment. (iStock)
Two large clinical trials are now in progress, aiming to determine whether people with high levels of this protein can benefit from treatment with one of two Alzheimer’s drugs before symptoms appear.
Lecanemab and donanemab are the only approved drugs designed to reduce levels of plaques in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers hope that treating people earlier may boost the drugs’ effectiveness.
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“There are many other blood and imaging biomarkers, as well as cognitive tests, that we can combine with plasma p-Tau217 to improve the accuracy of predicting symptom onset,” Petersen said. “We hope this work will lead to even better models that will be useful to individuals.”
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