This is the web version of STAT’s AAIC in 30 newsletter.
Hello from the last day of the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. This is the final version of this pop-up newsletter, but if you’re not tired of me, you can join me and my colleagues Damian Garde and Catherine MacPhail tomorrow to summarize AAIC and discuss how the research presented here fits into the broader direction of the field. You can register for the virtual event here. 10am Eastern time, 3pm here in the UK
Next year’s AAIC will be held in Chicago, and as the country goes into full World Cup frenzy over the next few hours, I’d like to take a final moment to say thank you for following me here in London.
How blood tests can change the future of dementia
Traditionally, the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is made after a brain scan, spinal tap, or cognitive testing performed by a behavioral neurologist. Testing can be burdensome and experts have limited capacity.
But research presented throughout the conference showed the field is moving in new directions, finding ways to make tests more accessible and providing more nuanced results than just determining whether someone has Alzheimer’s disease.
In particular, blood-based biomarker tests that aid in diagnosis are beginning to appear on the market. The Alzheimer’s Association has also begun issuing guidelines on how doctors should use it.
STAT Plus: Biogen’s Alzheimer’s disease drug slows decline as fast as approved treatments, study shows
One study detailed here examined whether these tests could be used in primary care settings. Alzheimer’s disease experts say it’s important that more doctors can diagnose the disease, especially as new treatments become available that are more effective if used early. The wait time for a neurologist can be several months, if not more than a year.
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