A recent study using a blood test to identify Alzheimer's disease was found to be around 90% accurate in patients with cognitive symptoms.
Blood tests that accurately and reliably detect Alzheimer's brain changes signal a shift to simpler, more accurate, and earlier detection and diagnosis, potentially superseding current methods that are expensive, invasive, and not always accessible. "Anything that makes diagnosis easier and quicker ... that's exciting," said Patrick C. Nolan, MD, PhD, Neurologist at ARC Four Points in a recent Austin American-Statesman article.
The test in the study, called APS2 (the amyloid probability score 2), looks for tau and amyloid proteins in the blood. People with Alzheimer's have been shown to have an increased amount of these two proteins in the brain.
Insurance coverage
While APS2 is FDA-approved, it is not yet approved for coverage by Medicare. That is usually the first step before other insurance programs will pay for a test or treatment, said Dr. Nolan. The current cognitive tests that are the gold standard take time and are not fun, he adds.
Could this blood test be used to treat Alzheimer's before symptoms occur?
If we could do a blood test to find Alzheimer's before symptoms appear, we also would need to have good medications to delay symptoms or prevent symptoms, Dr. Nolan said.
Currently, the new infusion drugs Kisunla and Leqembi that remove amyloid plaque and have been shown to delay symptoms up to 27% to 35% come with risks, including a 10% to 40% risk of side effects such as swelling and bleeding in the brain.
Two other medications are expected to come to the market soon. These work with a different mechanism, and the hope is that they will not have the effects of the current infusions.
Dr. Nolan says that treating Alzheimer's has been a challenge because while we do believe that the tau and amyloid proteins are involved in Alzheimer's, as well as inflammation and aging, we still don't know the definitive cause of the disease.
Make an appointment today with or without a referral
Dr. Nolan has a Fellowship in Neuromuscular Disease and Electromyography. He is currently accepting new patients ages 18 and older. Make an appointment online with Dr. Nolan using ARC MyChart or by calling ARC Four Points in Austin at 737-247-7200. Your ARC Primary Care Physician can also give you a referral to Dr. Nolan.