We’re now closer to being able to diagnose the most common form of dementia with a simple test. The Food and Drug Administration on May 16 said it cleared the first blood test for Alzheimer’s disease.
The blood test is for patients 55 and older who have signs and symptoms of the mind-robbing disease.
The Lumipulse blood plasma test detects a disease hallmark, amyloid plaques, which form in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.
This approval marks a milestone for patients, their families and doctors, said Howard Fillit, co-founder and chief science officer at the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation.
“The ability to diagnose Alzheimer’s earlier with a simple blood test, like we do for cholesterol, is a game changer, allowing more patients to receive treatment options that have the potential to significantly slow or even prevent the disease,” Fillit said.
The blood test is the first of what researchers say could be a new generation of blood tests to replace expensive brain scans and spinal taps now used to diagnose Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia. Early diagnosis could allow patients earlier access to FDA-approved drugs to treat Alzheimer’s, an incurable disease that afflicts an estimated 7.2 million older Americans.
