Blood test for Alzheimer’s even closer as thousands in UK get access in trial
THOUSANDS of Brits will have access to trials that could revolutionise the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, as scientists try out blood tests to quickly and accurately spot the brain robbing disease.
The blood tests could be ready for use in the NHS within five years as part of a drive to address the nation’s low diagnosis rate.
University College London and Oxford University will lead the trials to research cheap tests to spot proteins in people with early stages of dementia and those who have mild or progressive problems with memory.
The trial could make the diagnosis of dementia and Alzheimer’s more accessible.
Currently just 2 per cent of people are able to access tests like PET scans or lumbar punctures, which are only available in around one in 20 NHS memory clinics.
Fiona Carragher, director of research and influencing at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer, yet a third of people living with dementia don’t have a diagnosis, which means they’re not able to access care and support.
“At the moment, only 2 per cent of people with dementia can access the specialised tests needed to demonstrate eligibility for new treatments, leading to unnecessary delays, worry and uncertainty.
“Blood tests are part of the answer to this problem – they’re quick, easy to administer and cheaper than current, more complex tests.
“I’ve spent decades working in research and the NHS and, after years of slow progress, it feels like we’re on the cusp of a new chapter on how we treat dementia in this country.”
The research teams make up the Blood Biomarker Challenge, sponsored by Alzheimer’s Research UK and the Alzheimer’s Society with £5 million of funding from the People’s Postcode Lottery.
The tests could provide results to patients much sooner and accelerate the introduction of new Alzheimer’s drugs that rely on early diagnosis.
Dr Sheona Scales, director of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “We’ve seen the enormous potential that blood tests are showing for improving the diagnostic process for people and their loved ones in other disease areas.
“Now we need to see this same step-change in dementia, which is the greatest health challenge facing the UK.
“It’s fantastic that, through collaborating with the leading experts in the dementia community, we can look to bring cutting-edge blood tests for diagnosing dementia within the NHS.
“And this will be key to widening access to groundbreaking new treatments that are on the horizon.”
In recent years, a number of different blood tests that can diagnose Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of dementia have shown promising results in research settings, but they have yet to be tested widely in clinical settings in the UK.
Jonathan Schott, chief medical officer at Alzheimer’s Research UK, will lead a trial on the most promising blood biomarker in tests on 1,100 people across the UK.
His University College London (UCL) team will focus on the most promising biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease, called p-tau217, which can indicate levels of amyloid and tau in the brain.
Its trial will see if measuring p-tau217 in the blood can increase the rate of diagnosis for Alzheimer’s disease in people with early dementia, but also those with mild but progressive memory problems.
The second trial, headed by Dr Vanessa Raymont, from Oxford University, will cover new and existing blood tests on nearly 4,000 people, testing multiple forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies.
Both teams will recruit participants from sites spread across the country, to ensure their findings are applicable to the whole of the UK’s diverse population.
More than 944,000 people in the UK have dementia, a figure expected to rise to more than a million by 2030.
Alzheimer’s and dementia are not the same thing — despite the terms often being grouped together and used interchangeably.
Dementia is an umbrella term that covers a lot of different conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form of dementia, is responsible for around two thirds of the cases of dementia in the UK.
What are the early symptoms of cognitive decline?
WE all notice a natural decline in memory and thinking as we age.
This will be more pronounced in some people, as they experience memory and thinking problems that are mild but still noticeable.
This is described as mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Unlike dementia sufferers, people with MCI can still get on with day-to-day life.
Research suggests that two out of 10 people over the age
of 65 have MCI, according to Alzheimer’s Research UK.
About one in 10 people who’ve received an MCI diagnosis will go on to develop dementia.
Symptoms of MCI include:
Memory – Misplacing items or having trouble
remembering recent conversations.
- Attention problems – finding it difficult to concentrate,
e.g. while watching a TV programme or carrying out
duties at work - Disorientation – confusion about time, date or place
- Thinking skills – problems with planning or completing
tasks, e.g. managing money, or cooking a meal - Problems with communication and finding the right words
- Mood and behaviour changes – becoming irritable, anxious,
or feeling low
These symptoms may affect someone with MCI all the
time, or they might come and go.
There are steps we can take to keep our brains as healthy as possible. These include:
- Not smoking
- Doing regular physical activity
- Staying mentally and socially active
- Eating a healthy balanced diet
- Limiting the amount of alcohol we drink
- Having your hearing checked regularly
- Keeping blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol
levels in check