Thousands of Brits to get cheap blood tests for Alzheimer’s in groundbreaking trials to improve ‘shocking’ NHS diagnosis rates
Cheap blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease are expected to be rolled out to thousands of Britons in groundbreaking trials that doctors hope will improve ‘shocking’ NHS diagnosis rates.
The tests have proven highly effective in research settings, but now scientists want to show they work outside the laboratory.
They look for proteins linked to dementias, including Alzheimer’s disease, in blood samples from patients.
And not only would they offer a cheap alternative – they cost around £100 – but they could give patients clarity about their condition much sooner.
The trials, expected to cost £10 million, could even help introduce a new type of treatment for the disease, which requires early diagnosis.
They look for proteins linked to dementias, including Alzheimer’s disease, in blood samples from patients
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. The disease can cause anxiety, confusion and short-term memory loss
Dr. Sheona Scales, from Alzheimer’s Research UK, told The Times that there is a ‘real and urgent need to overhaul the way people are diagnosed.’
She continues: ‘Only two percent receive the PET brain scans (positron emission tomography) or lumen punctures that can provide a definitive assessment. This is especially concerning for doctors now that medications are starting to pass tests that could slow Alzheimer’s disease, provided you catch it early.
‘We really need early and accurate diagnosis so that patients can plan their lives and access treatments.’
UCL and Oxford teams have been commissioned to investigate the tests in studies sponsored by Alzheimer’s Research UK and the Alzheimer’s Society.
They will take place across Britain and will test people who have already gone to their doctor with concerns about memory loss.
This is the point at which the NHS usually starts diagnosing their condition – although many of the current ways of finding this out rely on cognitive testing.
Professor of neurology at UCL Jonathan Schott, who will conduct a trial in 1,100 people to see if the new tests can speed up the diagnosis period.
The studies will also show how important an early diagnosis is: half of the people tested receive their news after three months and the other after twelve months.
He told The Times that the new tests are “game-changing.” He added: ‘The basis of medicine is diagnosis. To understand the processes that lead to disease, to treat people, to conduct clinical trials – diagnosis is absolutely crucial.”
A second trial in almost 4,000 people will assess another group of blood tests to see if they can detect a range of dementias.
Scientists will also investigate whether the tests can be administered in different forms, for example by means of a finger prick, where the tests can be sent by post.