Something to cheer about! This week the Alzheimer’s Association put out this statement:
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the first blood test to aid in diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. The test detects amyloid plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, through a blood draw, making it less invasive than other more commonly used diagnostic.”
I wanted to share this good news with you because knowledge is power in this area of our lives too. There is a big movement for early detection in the Alzheimer’s space. This test gives us another tool to help in this initiative. The approval also reflects a fierce commitment to fighting the disease that threatens to cripple the population in the coming years. True not only for those directly affected by cognitive decline, but also for those who will have to care for this ever growing population.
The test identifies specific bio-markers in the brain known as Amyloid plaque. “It is for the early detection of amyloid plaque associated with Alzheimer’s disease in adult patients, aged 55 years and older, exhibiting signs and symptoms of the disease.”
The reporting I am following seems to be focused on two key points:
- Testing positive for Amyloid plaques is not conclusive in and of itself
- The test will be used for those already exhibiting memory impairment
The next steps for doctors and Alzheimer’s practitioners is to have clinical guidelines for who should be tested and when. What’s really important about this is that the testing is less invasive and therefore can be used more widely for earlier detection and to provide more data to support further and more comprehensive research.
My recent webinar guest, the expert dementia specialist and founder of Belight Care, Adria Thompson wisely advises her followers of anyone claiming they have a cure for dementia. “Be cautious.” There is no one cure for all dementias. But, the more information we each have individually and as doctors, the more we can design our lives and our drugs to protect our brains as long as possible!
