A simple blood test that could revolutionise dementia diagnosis has started trials in NHS clinics.
The study of more than 3,000 patients will verify a diagnostic test suitable for routine use that can detect problems with memory and mental processing at an early stage.
Currently just 2% of people with Alzheimer’s Disease have a proper diagnosis because the NHS does not have enough specialised PET (positron emission tomography) brain scanners or trained staff to take a sample of fluid from the spine.
The blood test should change that.
Stephanie Everill, 67, is one of the first patients to take part in the Blood Biomarker Challenge.
She was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment around a year ago and she struggles with her memory.
Her mum had Alzheimer’s and doctors believe she too may be developing the disease.
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“Sometimes I can’t say what I want to say because it’s just gone, I can’t remember,” she said.
“I do struggle with that and sometimes Roy (her husband) will give me the word I need.
“I hope that taking part in this study might mean a faster diagnosis and access to treatments for myself and others in the future.”
Ms Everill gave a sample of blood at the Warneford Hospital in Oxford, one of 28 clinics and mobile units around the UK taking part in the study.
Scientists will analyse the blood for a series of proteins – biomarkers – that have been linked to different forms of dementia in previous research.
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Professor Vanessa Raymont, a senior clinical researcher leading the study at the University of Oxford, said the aim is to have a cheap and accurate test ready for widespread clinical use within five years.
“There is a whole load of drugs under development that are likely to be licensed and potentially available on the NHS over the next few years,” she told Sky News.
“It will be nothing short of disastrous if people are unable to get a diagnosis early enough to benefit from the new drugs once they do become available.
“Blood biomarker tests could be the answer.”
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The research is funded by the Alzheimer’s Society, Alzheimer’s Research UK and the People’s Postcode Lottery, among others.
Professor Fiona Carragher, chief policy and research officer at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer, but about a third of people in this country do not get a diagnosis.
“The blood biomarker challenge is about revolutionising the diagnostic pathway. And the blood test is a key part of that.”
