ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - A new study from Washington University researchers finds the accuracy of diagnostic blood tests for Alzheimer's disease varies.
The researchers did a head-to head comparison of six commercially available blood tests for Alzheimer's Disease.
Lead study author Dr. Suzanne Schindler, an associate professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine, says these findings will help primary care physicians decide which blood tests can be trusted and are good ones to use.
"Most of these tests were not available a year ago," said Schindler. "Now multiple tests have come on to the market and the major issue was not knowing they were available, but which ones could be trusted and which ones should be use."
"Another issue is that they are not paid by insurance although we do expect in around a year or two, they will be."
The best tests, she says, were found to be the ones that incorporated measures of P-Tau 217 -- which is a leading Alzheimer's blood biomarker candidate.
"Across the board that test performed the best and that's good news," said Schindler. "There are four companies that are providing these tests and it suggests that the tests for this particular protein will be very helpful in clinical care."