Alzheimer’s disease could be diagnosed years before symptoms become devastating – as researchers hail TWO new breakthroughs in blood tests and brain scans

Hopes of slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease have been boosted by two major breakthroughs in blood testing and brain scanning that could help detect the condition years before symptoms appear.

More than 520,000 Britons have Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia that is the leading cause of death in the UK.

Although there is no cure, early diagnosis of the disease can help slow progression and manage symptoms such as memory loss, difficulty concentrating, mood changes and problems with speech.

Now researchers say new blood tests and brain scans could detect signs of Alzheimer’s years before symptoms appear, raising the possibility of earlier diagnosis and treatment for thousands of patients.

The findings, published in two separate papers in The Lancet, were praised by experts as an ‘exciting’ step forward.

It could also strengthen the case for NHS approval of two drugs that could slow the progression of Alzheimer’s if the disease is caught early, which were initially rejected on cost grounds.

The first study found that proteins linked to dementia, known as biomarkers, could be detected with a simple blood test in middle-aged adults.

Researchers analyzed levels of amyloid-beta protein plaques and phosphorylated tau (signs of Alzheimer’s when it builds up in the blood) in 1,350 non-demented adults in the United States with an average age of 61.

They found that those with higher levels of these biomarkers had worse cognitive performance (the term that refers to how well the brain can perform tasks), as well as reduced memory function and the ability to process information.

A version of such tests was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States last year, although it is not yet part of NHS care.

Experts believe FDA approval could pave the way for similar tests to be made available in the UK in the future.

The findings, if confirmed, suggest the tests could help detect early signs of Alzheimer’s disease earlier.

‘These findings support the concept that Alzheimer’s disease begins decades before the appearance of clinical symptoms and highlight the potential value of plasma biomarkers for early diagnosis in the general population,’ the study authors wrote.

They added that early diagnosis of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease could aid research ‘aimed at delaying or preventing the onset of dementia’.

Experts not involved in the research welcomed the findings but warned that more research was still needed.

Alzheimer’s Association’s deputy director of research and innovation, Dr. Richard Oakley said: ‘Blood-based biomarkers offer a promising, cost-effective and less invasive way to detect Alzheimer’s disease; So it’s encouraging to see momentum in this area.’

Professor Paresh Malhotra, head of neurology at Imperial College London’s brain science department, said: ‘It is also important to keep in mind that an abnormal blood test in itself is not a clinical diagnosis and does not mean someone will inevitably develop dementia.

‘At the moment we only understand what these tests really mean when there is evidence of cognitive impairment, so they may be useful where there is clinical assessment, but we do not yet fully understand their impact when done without such assessment or in people where there is no objective evidence of cognitive difficulties.’

The results of the study could also strengthen the case for manufacturers Eli Lilly and Eisai, which produce the drugs donanemab and lecanemab, respectively.

Both have been shown to delay the progression of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s in early, symptomatic Alzheimer’s by up to six months and are licensed for use in the UK in 2024.

But they have not been made available on the NHS after the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) deemed their benefits ‘too small’ to justify the cost.

The decision has been appealed by Eli Lilly and Eisai, but no decision has been made yet.

The second study found that a new type of brain scan could detect tau proteins, another key biomarker of Alzheimer’s, more effectively than existing methods used in Europe and the United States.

Everyone experiences dementia differently. Use this checklist to help you note your symptoms before talking to your doctor.

Researchers studied 682 participants from the United States and Canada using two different PET brain scans, which use small amounts of radiation to reveal diseases including cancer.

The new scan uses an experimental tracer (the official term for radiation) called MK6240, while the current method uses a tracer known as Flortaucipir.

The new tracer detected twice as many early tau-positive cases among cognitively healthy adults as standard screening.

Additionally, significantly more tau was detected in people who already showed signs of cognitive impairment.

The researchers believe the findings suggest that many cases of early tau formation linked to Alzheimer’s disease may be missing in current brain scans.

The study also highlights the potential of the new tracer, which has not yet been approved for routine clinical use in Britain or the US.

Experts once again welcomed the findings.

Roslyn Bill, professor of biotechnology at Aston University, said: ‘This study represents a significant advance in the field of Alzheimer’s disease.’

Tara Spires-Jones, professor of neurodegeneration at the University of Edinburgh and head of department at the UK Dementia Research Institute, said: ‘These are both well-conducted studies that advance our knowledge of detecting early brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

‘Whilst these are important scientific findings that will be very useful for research and clinical trials, it is important to note that neither the blood test nor the brain scans investigated are available for routine clinical use in the UK.’

Alzheimer’s Research UK research funder Dr. Jacqui Hanley added: ‘Many people in the UK are waiting too long for a dementia diagnosis, which means they often miss out on these opportunities. That’s why there’s such excitement about the potential for blood tests, as well as other evaluations.

‘Accurate blood tests could improve how diagnoses are made as they are less invasive, scalable and potentially more accessible than existing tools such as PET brain scans and lumbar punctures.

‘Detailed neuroimaging remains important to more precisely understand the extent and stage of the disease; This is critical for research and treatment decisions. The study of tau PET scans suggests that newer methods could detect Alzheimer’s-related changes earlier than current techniques, allowing earlier identification of the disease and more precise selection of participants for clinical trials.

‘As exciting as the results of these two observational studies are, we will need further research in larger and more diverse groups of people before the approaches can be used routinely. ‘We are still learning how these biomarkers behave over time, especially in people who are otherwise healthy, and we don’t understand why some people have these biomarkers but do not develop dementia.’

The findings come after the Daily Mail and the Alzheimer’s Society jointly worked to tackle dementia, which kills 76,000 people every year.

The Beating Dementia campaign aims to raise awareness of the disease to increase early detection, increase research and improve care.