Do You Want To Know Whether You Are in the Early Stages of Alzheimer’s? A new study might help…

During the International Alzheimer’s Congress (AAIC) in Amsterdam today, clinicians and researchers from around the world presented new guidelines for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease.

These guidelines propose the use of blood biomarkers, similar to how other major diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease are diagnosed in clinical settings.

Recent research has shown promising results for a blood test specifically designed for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease.

Professor Charlotte Teunissen, a neurochemistry expert at Amsterdam UMC and one of the contributors to the new guidelines, states that “a new generation of biomarkers is now available to detect Alzheimer’s disease more and more effectively. We have already gained a lot of experience with this in our Alzheimer’s centre, but in the long term the test can also be successfully implemented after a GP’s referral”

There is a strong desire among individuals with cognitive symptoms to know whether they are in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, as a diagnosis empowers patients to take control over the next phase of their lives.

Blood biomarkers play a crucial role in fulfilling this desire for diagnosis, serving as a gateway to treatment. Additionally, blood tests are relatively inexpensive and accessible, making them a viable option in various healthcare settings.

Previously, only specialized clinics could perform accurate blood test analyses and provide diagnoses. However, recent Swedish research presented at the ADPD conference in March suggests that biomarkers can be more reliable than the analysis conducted by primary care physicians.

Furthermore, the blood test is less burdensome for patients compared to current diagnostic methods. Presently, Alzheimer’s is diagnosed through the analysis of cerebrospinal fluid obtained through an invasive lumbar puncture or through expensive PET scans.

However, it is anticipated that these methods will soon become less necessary for diagnosing Alzheimer’s.

The new guidelines were developed by an international committee comprising practitioners and researchers under the auspices of the International Alzheimer’s Association and the American National Institute on Aging.

In contrast to the previous approach, which relied on identifying brain pathology and cognitive decline as indicators of the disease, the new guidelines emphasize the use of biomarkers for diagnosis.

In recent years, numerous biomarkers with excellent diagnostic performance have been developed and clinically validated, with more on the horizon.

The growing momentum and relevance of this new approach to diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease are further underscored by the approval of targeted therapies like lecanemab in the United States.

These drugs are currently undergoing review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in the EU.

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