Health
A blood test may be able to detect Alzheimer's disease, but Singapore doctors say they don't recommend using it as a screening tool
SINGAPORE – A blood test that can detect Alzheimer's disease may be possible within the next few years, after Swedish researchers found that measuring two biomarkers in blood plasma can identify the disease more accurately than current tests.
The study examined plasma levels of two major abnormal proteins linked to Alzheimer's disease: phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217), a sign of neurodegeneration, and beta-amyloid 42, the accumulation of which is associated with Alzheimer's disease.
The blood test was more than 90% accurate in identifying patients with Alzheimer's disease, which accounts for about 70% of dementia cases worldwide. The results were published July 28 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
The p-tau217 biomarker was also studied by researchers at the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) in early 2024. This small pilot found significant differences in the levels of this biomarker between Alzheimer's patients and non-patients in 72 blood samples tested.
The NNI is now planning a larger study to validate the earlier findings in patients with early cognitive symptoms.
Associate Professor Adeline Ng, a senior neurologist at NNI, told The Straits Times: “The data collected will help us understand PTAU-217 levels in Singapore patients with Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment (a precursor to dementia), and how levels change as the condition progresses.”
Currently, diagnosis is made using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging or cerebrospinal fluid, and such tests are expensive or invasive.
Experts in Singapore say that even if blood tests are available, they should only be used on symptomatic patients to distinguish Alzheimer's from other types of dementia, because the treatments currently available in Singapore only treat the symptoms of Alzheimer's, not prevent or slow the disease.
Prof Ng said mass screening was only effective for diseases that were preventable or manageable, and would “identify people who have health problems but don't yet have symptoms so that treatment can be started to prevent damage”.
In Singapore, approximately It is estimated that one in 11 people over the age of 60 suffers from dementia. According to a recent study by the National Institute of Mental Health.
According to the paper, there will be around 74,000 dementia patients and 52,000 seniors who may have Alzheimer's disease by 2023. With the rapid aging of the population, these numbers are expected to rise significantly.
Early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include forgetting recent conversations, asking repetitive questions, having trouble making decisions, and taking longer to complete normal daily tasks.
It usually takes about 10 years for mild dementia to progress to severe dementia, but for some patients it can take as long as 20 years.
Dr Zhong-Yao Feng, a clinician and researcher specialising in dementia at National University Hospital, said the Swedish findings were part of a growing research trend looking at whether blood biomarkers could be used to identify Alzheimer's disease.
“If approved, a blood biomarker test would dramatically improve access to biomarker testing for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease,” he said.
As the incidence of Alzheimer's disease rises around the world, especially in developed countries as the population ages, many major pharmaceutical companies are working to develop treatments to slow or stop the progression of the disease. There are currently 164 ongoing clinical trials testing 127 drugs to treat Alzheimer's.
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