New research in The Lancet reveals that blood tests for biomarkers and advanced PET brain scans can detect Alzheimer's disease years before symptoms appear, potentially enabling earlier treatment and slowing progression. The findings may support NHS reconsideration of costly drugs like donanemab and lecanemab.
Two major breakthroughs in blood testing and brain scanning offer new hope for slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease by enabling detection years before symptoms appear.
Over 520,000 people in the UK live with Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia and the nation's leading cause of death. Although there is no cure, early diagnosis can help slow progression and manage symptoms such as memory loss, difficulty concentrating, mood changes, and problems following conversations. Recent research published in The Lancet suggests that new blood tests and advanced brain scans could identify Alzheimer's signs long before clinical symptoms emerge, potentially allowing earlier intervention for thousands of patients.
These findings have been praised as an 'exciting' step forward by experts and could strengthen the case for NHS approval of two drugs-donanemab and lecanemab-that slow disease progression when administered early but were initially rejected due to cost concerns. The first study focused on blood-based biomarkers, specifically amyloid-beta protein plaques and phosphorylated tau, which are associated with dementia. Researchers analyzed these biomarkers in 1,350 dementia-free US adults with an average age of 61.
They discovered that individuals with higher levels of these proteins exhibited worse cognitive performance, declining memory, and reduced information-processing abilities. A version of such a test received FDA approval in the United States last year, though it is not yet part of NHS care. Experts believe this approval could pave the way for similar tests in Britain.
The study authors emphasized that Alzheimer's begins decades before symptoms appear and highlighted the potential of plasma biomarkers for early detection in the general population. They noted that identifying early Alzheimer's could support research aimed at delaying or preventing dementia onset. Independent experts welcomed the findings but cautioned that further research is needed. Dr Richard Oakley of Alzheimer's Society described blood-based biomarkers as a promising, cost-effective, and less invasive detection method.
Professor Paresh Malhotra of Imperial College London warned that an abnormal blood test alone does not constitute a clinical diagnosis and does not guarantee dementia development, stressing that current understanding of these tests relies on accompanying cognitive assessments. The second study introduced a novel brain scan using an experimental tracer called MK6240, which detects tau proteins-a key Alzheimer's biomarker-more effectively than existing methods like Flortaucipir.
The research involved 682 participants from the US and Canada undergoing PET scans, which use small amounts of radiation to reveal disease markers. This advanced scanning technique could improve early detection and monitoring of Alzheimer's, complementing the blood test advancements. Together, these breakthroughs highlight a shift toward proactive, earlier identification of Alzheimer's, potentially transforming treatment pathways and health economics by enabling timely use of disease-modifying drugs.
However, challenges remain in validating these tools for routine clinical use, ensuring accessibility, and integrating them into healthcare systems like the NHS, where cost-effectiveness assessments by NICE continue to influence drug availability
Alzheimer's Disease Early Detection Blood Test Biomarkers Brain Scan Tau Proteins Dementia Diagnosis NHS Drug Approval Amyloid-Beta Phosphorylated Tau PET Scanner MK6240 Disease Progression
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