Researcher stresses Alzheimer’s blood test not yet for healthy people
Researchers at Mass General Brigham Neuroscience Institute reported Wednesday that a blood test measuring a protein known as p-tau217 may be able to predict whether apparently healthy older adults will develop Alzheimer’s disease symptoms within the next five to 10 years. The scientists stressed that the test is not yet ready for widespread use in healthy people.
The finding is potentially valuable for drug development. Large clinical trials are already testing whether certain drugs can prevent or at least delay Alzheimer’s disease. If any of those drugs prove effective, doctors will need a simple way to determine which people should try them. The blood test could help researchers enroll high-risk individuals into such trials more efficiently.
The p-tau217 test is currently used in clinical practice to help diagnose whether people who are already experiencing cognitive problems have Alzheimer’s disease or another disorder. The new study examined its potential to predict future symptoms in older adults who appear healthy.
Dr. Reisa Sperling, the study’s senior author and a neurologist at Mass General Brigham Neuroscience Institute, said it is too soon for healthy people to seek out the blood test on their own.
“Wait and get tested when you can potentially do something about it,” Sperling said. “At this point it wouldn’t change what I would tell someone to do. I’d still tell them to eat well, sleep well, exercise a lot and stay engaged.”