A new blood test that measures the key protein level in blood was proved to be more effective in detecting Alzheimer’s at the early stage than doctors.
According to Health Day, the study suggested that a test called APS2 (the amyloid probability score 2) showed 91% accurate results in diagnosing the illness compared to the 61% success rate of the primary care doctors.
The finding of the research was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on July 28.
Dr. Teresa D’Amato, director of geriatric emergency medicine at Northwell Health in Forest Hills, called the new study ‘very exciting.’
D'Amato, one of the researchers of the study, said, “This blood test would be great as a first round of diagnostic testing because it looks like it's pretty accurate,” adding, “It becomes really important to diagnose Alzheimer’s very early on to make these folks eligible for possible treatment.”
As per the team of dementia experts who wrote the editorial of the research, which includes Dr. Stephen Salloway, Dr. Christopher Rowe, and Dr. Jeffrey Burns, the blood test diagnosis for Alzheimer could become a ‘game changer.
The editorialists suggested, “Diagnosing Alzheimer's is challenging, especially in primary care. Having a reliable blood test is essential to helping primary care physicians make an early and accurate diagnosis.”
