DES MOINES, Iowa — 62,000 Iowans 65 or older are living with Alzheimer's and its impact is expected to rise, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
There is, however, a new blood test that helps with diagnosis, giving people hope.
The Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter's Lauren Livingston tells Local 5 that this was by far the most exciting announcement at this year’s Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. While the test is still in its clinical trial stage, it’s stirring up a lot of excitement about what the future holds. Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease that takes a toll on the people suffering from it, as well as their families.
“People think of it as memory loss - losing your short term and long term memory over time - which is certainly the case and it can affect your body too. Especially in the later stages. You can lose the ability to eat…,” Livingston said.
She says, right now, the process of getting a diagnosis can take years. A new blood test, however, could significantly shrink that time frame.
“Getting a blood test to help diagnose reduces the time of diagnosis to an average of about a year versus right now the average time to get an official diagnosis is between six and seven years," Livingston said.
And time is of the essence. While there’s no cure for Alzheimer’s, Livingston says there is treatment for earlier stages that slows down the disease’s progression. However, a later diagnosis takes away that option. Plus, traditional tests aren’t always easy to come by. A blood test can be more accessible.
“This blood test would make it so much easier for families who suspect that they or their loved one may have Alzheimer’s disease to get tested. Especially in the rural areas of the state. There’s not a lot of specialists or the P.E.T. scan and spinal tap options," Livingston said.
She adds that this test could be done by a family doctor. Plus Livingston says a blood test is also less invasive than the primary diagnostic tools currently available.
“It’s a simple blood test just like you would think for checking your cholesterol," she said.
Additionally, Livingston says the blood test is more accurate than traditional tests. In fact, the Alzheimer's Association reports that in a large study comparing the accuracy of blood tests to primary care doctors and specialists using traditional diagnostic methods, the blood test was about 90% accurate, while the primary care doctors were 63% accurate, and specialists were 73% accurate.
Livingston tells Local 5 that, with the test still being in clinical trials and not yet having FDA approval, the question of when and if the test will become available is still up in the air. However, with the results it’s giving so far, there’s hope for FDA approval to come sooner rather than later.