Blood test predicts risk of Alzheimer’s disease with high accuracy

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Scientists may have discovered a promising new development in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.

A simple blood test, they say, can predict if a person is at risk for the disease before they exhibit signs of cognitive decline. 

In a cross-continental study, researchers at Washington State University in St. Louis took blood samples from nearly 500 patients. They found high levels of protein deposits known as amyloid plaque circulating in the blood. A buildup of amyloid plaque can lead to memory loss.

Results showed the test identified people at risk for Alzheimer’s with a 93% accuracy rate.

“A blood test for Alzheimer’s provides a huge boost for Alzheimer’s research and diagnosis,” Dr. Randall J. Bateman, a senior author of the study, said in a news release. “As new drugs become available, a blood test could determine who might benefit from treatment, including those at the very early stages of the disease.”

Bateman say their findings provide further evidence that the test should be considered by health care professionals as part of routine screening for the disease.