02 Aug New blood tests can help diagnose Alzheimer’s. Are doctors ready for what’s next?

By Jon Hamilton, NPR

A new generation of blood tests promises to change the way doctors diagnose and treat Alzheimer’s disease.

The tests offer a fast and easy way for physicians to learn whether a patient with symptoms of cognitive decline also has the brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s. Evidence of those brain changes is required before doctors can prescribe one of two recently approved drugs that can slow down the disease.

As demand for those drugs rises, blood tests could play a crucial role in identifying patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s who would benefit from treatment. Read more…