(Undated)– Researchers have announced a new blood test that will predict whether someone has Alzheimer’s disease far better than current tests can. A new law in Iowa will make sure it’s covered by insurance. The Alzheimer’s Association says the blood test is 90-percent accurate in informing people showing signs of cognitive impairment if they have the disease. Iowa Chapter Communications Director Lauren Livingston says it’s a huge step beyond the memory tests doctors currently use…
Livingston says patients must have a certain amount of ‘tau’ in the brain, a protein that is an Alzheimer’s precursor, to qualify for the test. Iowa passed a law this year that requires state-funded health insurance companies to cover tests for dementia biomarkers, like tau in the blood. Livingston says positive blood tests could boost recruitment for Alzheimer’s clinical trials and reduce wait times for assessment. There is no cure for the disease, but Livingston says early detection means a person can take drugs to slow its progression. She says the test can be especially helpful outside Iowa’s metro areas that have larger health care centers…
Some 62-thousand Iowans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. Nationwide, the number is close to 7-million, although the Alzheimer’s Association says the disease is underdiagnosed. Livingston is hopeful the test is available in health care settings in the near future.
(Courtesy Iowa News Service)
