CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html class="no-js" lang="en" dir="ltr" prefix="content: http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/ dc: http://purl.org/dc/terms/ foaf: http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/ rdfs: http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema# sioc: http://rdfs.org/sioc/ns# sioct: http://rdfs.org/sioc/types# skos: http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core# xsd: http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#"> <head> <title>Accurate blood test for Alzheimer’s disease | National Institutes of Health (NIH)</title> <meta charset="utf-8" /> <script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ var usasearch_config = { siteHandle:"nih" }; var script = document.createElement("script"); script.type = "text/javascript"; script.src = "//search.usa.gov/javascripts/remote.loader.js"; document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(script); //]]> </script><link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://www.nih.gov/favicon.ico" type="image/vnd.microsoft.icon" /> <meta name="google-site-verification" content="rjIoO4vW0AYgltSYvxM1L_CzGIkq28kHf9gHIASKx8s" /> <link rel="profile" href="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab" /> <meta http-equiv="cleartype" content="on" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="https://www.nih.gov/sites/all/themes/nih/apple-touch-icon.png" /> <meta name="description" content="A blood test identified Alzheimer’s disease correctly in older adults with about 90% accuracy." /> <meta name="keywords" content="Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, diagnosis, blood test, cerebrospinal fluid, positron emission tomography, amyloid beta, amyloid-β, Aβ42, Aβ40, tau, p-tau217, amyloid probability score, APS2, PrecivityAD2, BioFINDER, Sebastian Palmqvist, Oskar Hansson, Journal of the American Medical Association, JAMA" /> <meta name="robots" content="follow, index" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" /> <meta name="generator" content="Drupal 7 (http://drupal.org)" /> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/accurate-blood-test-alzheimer-s-disease" /> <link rel="shortlink" href="https://www.nih.gov/node/244831" /> <meta http-equiv="content-language" content="EN" /> <meta property="og:site_name" content="National Institutes of Health (NIH)" /> <meta property="og:type" content="article" /> <meta property="og:title" content="Accurate blood test for Alzheimer’s disease" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/accurate-blood-test-alzheimer-s-disease" /> <meta property="og:description" content="A blood test identified Alzheimer’s disease correctly in older adults with about 90% accuracy." /> <meta property="og:updated_time" content="2024-08-27T11:54:38-04:00" /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/news-events/research-matters/2024/shutterstock_2430401517_0.jpg" /> <meta property="og:image:url" content="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/news-events/research-matters/2024/shutterstock_2430401517_0.jpg" /> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary" /> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Accurate blood test for Alzheimer’s disease" /> <meta name="twitter:url" content="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/accurate-blood-test-alzheimer-s-disease" /> <meta name="twitter:description" content="A blood test identified Alzheimer’s disease correctly in older adults with about 90% accuracy." /> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/news-events/research-matters/2024/shutterstock_2430401517_0.jpg" /> <meta property="article:published_time" content="2024-08-13T09:21:05-04:00" /> <meta property="article:modified_time" content="2024-08-27T11:54:38-04:00" /> <meta name="owner" content="OD" /> <meta name="published_date" content="2024-08-13T09:21:05-04:00" /> <meta name="last_revision" content="2024-08-27T11:54:38-04:00" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/css/css_PfvPCWanzn7FjDwZqwAHhPoOxYKwkQP-RZSK1pFFG0s.css" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/css/css__mIWP9gcStq74isjZVoAAsiih8VXwJoN75Nyw_BXrj0.css" media="screen" /> <style media="print">#sb-container{position:relative;}#sb-overlay{display:none;}#sb-wrapper{position:relative;top:0;left:0;}#sb-loading{display:none;} </style> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/css/css_jENQOQqZCRFGZK__DTefxYiXR2RUf03k1ugj3_Vg7vk.css" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="//cdn.jsdelivr.net/qtip2/3.0.3/jquery.qtip.min.css" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/css/css_3yt-b0M1HNJsvKsXwYjh5TEtX2lJGAvJvtmVAfORYZs.css" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="//fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Droid+Sans:700,regular|Droid+Serif:italic,regular&subset=latin" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/css/css_E4VlyxyL3JMcT6dslWLGb0uQdoI2bh_Xj0N65V-bcWo.css" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/css/css_5rDMv37-JxnNA70cRr_1jlAjVs56DCb8EN4XB2QLl0c.css" media="all" />  <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/css/css_KviiBystpJcQq4MplcQZvCFxnu9V763f5bPq_AKh4xM.css" media="all" /> <script src="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/js/js_mQAv54bz2JVXcwS5QWlz0fVY9Os67zeu9bgNqtlVLPY.js"></script> <script src="//code.jquery.com/jquery-2.2.4.min.js"></script> <script>window.jQuery || document.write("<script src='/sites/all/modules/contrib/jquery_update/replace/jquery/2.2/jquery.min.js'>\x3C/script>")</script> <script>jQuery.migrateMute=true;jQuery.migrateTrace=false;</script> <script src="//code.jquery.com/jquery-migrate-1.4.1.min.js"></script> <script>window.jQuery && window.jQuery.migrateWarnings || document.write("<script src='/sites/all/modules/contrib/jquery_update/replace/jquery-migrate/1.4.1/jquery-migrate.min.js'>\x3C/script>")</script> <script src="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/js/js_9sGTPBGcOGZjLiSLGrYEnuUf8VdvLmL_DEZNNNbnHXk.js"></script> <script src="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/js/js_hNnF7a_sbk6nZ2-mOamHzalYND7HBHDLRInsaU93HDk.js"></script> <script>document.createElement( "picture" );</script> <script src="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/js/js_gHk2gWJ_Qw_jU2qRiUmSl7d8oly1Cx7lQFrqcp3RXcI.js"></script> <script src="//cdn.jsdelivr.net/qtip2/3.0.3/jquery.qtip.min.js"></script> <script defer="defer" src="//script.crazyegg.com/pages/scripts/0011/2616.js"></script> <script src="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/js/js_3s0l7MQ3oYmGkNAypyzCJq3a0wT85XX_P1SLgnph5K4.js"></script> <script> Shadowbox.path = "/sites/all/libraries/shadowbox/"; </script> <script>jQuery.extend(Drupal.settings, {"basePath":"\/","pathPrefix":"","setHasJsCookie":0,"instances":"{\u0022default\u0022:{\u0022content\u0022:{\u0022text\u0022:\u0022\u0022},\u0022style\u0022:{\u0022tip\u0022:false,\u0022classes\u0022:\u0022\u0022},\u0022position\u0022:{\u0022at\u0022:\u0022bottom right\u0022,\u0022adjust\u0022:{\u0022method\u0022:\u0022\u0022},\u0022my\u0022:\u0022top left\u0022,\u0022viewport\u0022:false},\u0022show\u0022:{\u0022event\u0022:\u0022mouseenter \u0022},\u0022hide\u0022:{\u0022event\u0022:\u0022mouseleave \u0022}}}","qtipDebug":"{\u0022leaveElement\u0022:0}","shadowbox":{"animate":true,"animateFade":true,"animSequence":"wh","auto_enable_all_images":1,"auto_gallery":1,"autoplayMovies":true,"continuous":false,"counterLimit":10,"counterType":"default","displayCounter":true,"displayNav":true,"enableKeys":true,"fadeDuration":0.34999999999999998,"handleOversize":"resize","handleUnsupported":"link","initialHeight":160,"initialWidth":320,"language":"en","modal":false,"overlayColor":"#000","overlayOpacity":0.80000000000000004,"resizeDuration":0.55000000000000004,"showMovieControls":true,"slideshowDelay":0,"viewportPadding":20,"useSizzle":false},"picture":{"mappings":[["Sidebar media mappings","sidebar_media_mappings"],["Floated media mappings","floated_media_mappings"],["Not Set","not_set"]],"label":"Image size (required)"},"extlink":{"extTarget":"_blank","extClass":"ext","extLabel":"(link is external)","extImgClass":0,"extIconPlacement":0,"extSubdomains":1,"extExclude":"(.\\.nih\\.gov.)|(.\\.cancer\\.gov.)|(.\\.genome\\.gov.)|(.\\.drugabuse\\.gov.)|(locatorplus\\.gov.)|(.\\.govdelivery\\.com.)|(.\\.hatchbuck\\.com.)|(nihseniorhealth\\.gov.)|(clinicaltrials\\.gov.)|(search\\.usa\\.gov\\\/search\\?affiliate\\=hip.)|(search\\.gov\\\/search\\?affiliate\\=hip.)|(drugabuse\\.gov.)|(medlineplus\\.gov.)|(collegedrinkingprevention\\.gov.)|(smokefree\\.gov.)|(arpa-h\\.gov.)|(nih\\.sharepoint\\.com)","extInclude":"(.\\.pagefreezer\\.com.)","extCssExclude":".media, .emergency-message, .slideshow-main, .bean-home-slideshow-2l-block","extCssExplicit":"","extAlert":"_blank","extAlertText":"You are leaving the NIH website.\r\n\r\nThis external link provides additional information that is consistent with the intended purpose of this site. NIH cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal site.\r\n\r\nLinking to a non-federal site does not constitute an endorsement by NIH or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the site. You will be subject to the destination site\u2019s privacy policy when you follow the link.","mailtoClass":"mailto","mailtoLabel":"(link sends e-mail)","extUseFontAwesome":0}});</script> <script type="text/javascript"> // ForeSee Production Embed Script v2.01 // DO NOT MODIFY BELOW THIS LINE ***************************************** ;(function (g) { var d = document, am = d.createElement('script'), h = d.head || d.getElementsByTagName("head")[0], fsr = 'fsReady', aex = { "src": "//gateway.foresee.com/sites/nih-gov/production/gateway.min.js", "type": "text/javascript", "async": "true", "data-vendor": "fs", "data-role": "gateway" }; for (var attr in aex) { am.setAttribute(attr, aex[attr]); } h.appendChild(am); g[fsr] || (g[fsr] = function () { var aT = '__' + fsr + '_stk__'; g[aT] = g[aT] || []; g[aT].push(arguments); }); })(window); // DO NOT MODIFY ABOVE THIS LINE ***************************************** // Un-comment out the function below when you are ready to input your variable /*fsReady(function() { FSR.CPPS.set('name','value'); // use single quotes when passing a static-value FSR.CPPS.set('name2',somevariable); // don't use quotes for a dynamic value FSR.CPPS.set('name3',othervariable); // add as many CPPs as you like in this way });*/ </script> </head> <body class="html not-front not-logged-in page-node page-node- page-node-244831 node-type-nih-research-matters section navigation-nih-research-matters section-news-events"> <a href="#main-content" class="element-invisible element-focusable">Skip to main content</a> <noscript aria-hidden="true"><iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5CBCNW2" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <div class="l-page has-one-sidebar has-sidebar-second"> <div class="l-page-content"> <header class="l-header" role="banner"> <div class="l-ribbon-wrapper"> <ul class="l-ribbon"> <li><span class="ribbon-hhs"></span><a href="https://www.hhs.gov">U.S. Department of Health & Human Services</a><span class="ribbon-right"></span></li> </ul> </div> <div class="l-banner-wrapper"> <div class="l-banner"> <div class="l-branding"> <a class="nih-logo icon-nih-logo" href="/" title="National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Turning Discovery into Health" rel="home"><img src="/sites/all/themes/nih/images/nih-logo-color.png" width="390" height="60" alt="National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Turning Discovery into Health" /></a> </div>  <form accept-charset="UTF-8" action="https://search.nih.gov/search" id="search" class="search-form site-search" method="get"> <div style="margin:0;padding:0;display:inline"><input name="utf8" type="hidden" value="✓" /></div> <input id="affiliate" name="affiliate" type="hidden" value="nih" /> <label for="query" class="hide">Search the NIH Website</label> <input autocomplete="on" class="usagov-search-autocomplete form-field form-field-site-search" id="query" name="query" type="text" placeholder="Search NIH" /><input type="submit" name="commit" value="Search" class="form-button form-button-site-search" /> </form> <ul class="banner-utilities"> <li><a href="/virtual-tour">Virtual Tour</a></li> <li><a href="https://ned.nih.gov/">Staff Directory</a></li> <li><a href="https://salud.nih.gov">En Español</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </header> <div class="l-navigation-wrapper">  <h2 class="element-invisible">Site Menu</h2> <nav class="l-menu-wrapper"> <ul class="l-menu">  <li class="tab-wrapper tab-wrapper-home"> <div class="tab home"><a href="/"><span>Home</span></a></div> </li>  <li class="tab-wrapper tab-wrapper-healthinfo tab-wrapper-left"> <div class="tab"><a href="/health-information"><span>Health Information</span></a></div> <div class="megamenu"> <div class="megamenu-col megamenu-leftcol"> <ul class="sub-menu"> <li><a href="https://www.hhs.gov/programs/social-services/health-care-facilities/index.html">Health Care Providers & Facilities</a></li> <li><a href="/health-information/health-info-lines">Health Info Lines</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.healthcare.gov">HealthCare.gov</a></li> <li><a href="/research-training/science-education">Science Education Resources</a></li> <li><a href="/health-information/nih-clinical-research-trials-you">NIH Clinical Research Trials and You</a></li> <li><a href="/institutes-nih/nih-office-director/office-communications-public-liaison/clear-communication/talking-your-doctor">Talking to Your Doctor</a></li>  </ul> <p class="more-wrapper"><a class="button gold" href="/health-information" title="More Health Information">More »</a></p> </div> <div class="megamenu-col megamenu-rightcol"> <form id="hipsearch" accept-charset="UTF-8" action="https://search.nih.gov/search" method="get" class="search-form"> <p class="subhead"><label for="query2">Search Health Topics</label></p> <div class="input-wrapper"> <div style="margin:0;padding:0;display:inline"><input name="utf8" type="hidden" value="✓" /></div> <input id="affiliate" name="affiliate" type="hidden" value="hip" /> <input type="hidden" name="dc" value="940" /> <input autocomplete="on" maxlength="50" class="usagov-search-autocomplete form-field form-field-search" id="query2" name="query" type="text" /> <input name="commit" type="submit" value="Go" id="searchbutton" class="form-button" /> </div> </form> <p class="subhead">Quick Links</p> <ul class="sub-menu"> <li><a class="minibadge minibadge-medlineplus" href="https://medlineplus.gov/"><span class="minibadge-text">MedlinePlus Health Info</span></a></li> <li><a class="minibadge minibadge-newsinhealth" href="https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/"><span class="minibadge-text">NIH News in Health</span></a></li> <li><a class="minibadge minibadge-wellnesstoolkits" href="/health-information/your-healthiest-self-wellness-toolkits"><span class="minibadge-text">Wellness Toolkits</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </li>  <li class="tab-wrapper tab-wrapper-grants tab-wrapper-left"> <div class="tab"><a href="/grants-funding"><span>Grants & Funding</span></a></div> <div class="megamenu"> <div class="megamenu-col megamenu-leftcol"> <ul> <li><a href="https://grants.nih.gov">Grants Home Page</a></li> <li><a href="https://grants.nih.gov/funding/index.htm">Find Funding</a></li> <li><a href="https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/due-dates-and-submission-policies/due-dates.htm">Due Dates</a></li> <li><a href="https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide.html">How to Apply</a></li> <li><a href="https://grants.nih.gov/grants/about_grants.htm">About Grants</a></li> <li><a href="https://grants.nih.gov/policy/index.htm">Policy & Compliance</a></li> <li><a href="https://nexus.od.nih.gov/all/">Grants News/Blog</a></li> <li><a href="https://grants.nih.gov/funding/contracts.htm">Contracts</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.lrp.nih.gov/">Loan Repayment</a></li> </ul> <p class="more-wrapper"><a class="button gold" href="/grants-funding" title="More Grants & Funding Information">More »</a></p> </div> <div class="megamenu-col megamenu-rightcol"> <p class="subhead">Quick Links</p> <ul> <li><a class="minibadge minibadge-report" href="https://report.nih.gov/"><span class="minibadge-text">RePORT</span></a></li> <li><a class="minibadge minibadge-era" href="https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/"><span class="minibadge-text">eRA Commons</span></a></li> <li><a class="minibadge minibadge-commonfund" href="https://commonfund.nih.gov/"><span class="minibadge-text">NIH Common Fund</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </li>  <li class="tab-wrapper tab-wrapper-news tab-wrapper-left"> <div class="tab"><a href="/news-events"><span>News & Events</span></a></div> <div class="megamenu"> <div class="megamenu-col megamenu-leftcol"> <ul> <li><a href="/news-events/news-releases">News Releases</a></li> <li><a href="/news-events/digital-media-kits">Digital Media Kits</a></li> <li><a href="/news-events/media-resources">Media Resources</a></li> <li><a href="/news-events/media-contacts">Media Contacts</a></li> <li><a href="/news-events/images-b-roll">Images and B-roll</a></li> <li><a href="/news-events/events">Events</a></li> <li><a href="/news-events/social-media-outreach">Social Media</a></li> </ul> <p class="more-wrapper"><a class="button gold" href="/news-events" title="More News & Events">More »</a></p> </div> <div class="megamenu-col megamenu-rightcol"> <p class="subhead">Quick Links</p> <ul> <li><a class="minibadge minibadge-newsinhealth" href="https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/"><span class="minibadge-text">NIH News in Health</span></a></li> <li><a class="minibadge minibadge-researchmatters" href="/news-events/nih-research-matters"><span class="minibadge-text">NIH Research Matters</span></a></li> <li><a class="minibadge minibadge-nihrecord" href="https://nihrecord.nih.gov/"><span class="minibadge-text">NIH Record</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </li>  <li class="tab-wrapper tab-wrapper-research tab-wrapper-right"> <div class="tab"><a href="/research-training"><span>Research & Training</span></a></div> <div class="megamenu"> <div class="megamenu-col megamenu-leftcol"> <ul> <li><a href="/research-training/medical-research-initiatives">Medical Research Initiatives</a></li> <li><a href="/research-training/science-highlights">Science Highlights</a></li> <li><a href="/research-training/science-education">Science Education</a></li> <li><a href="/research-training/research-nih-labs-clinics">Research in NIH Labs & Clinics</a></li> <li><a href="/research-training/training-opportunities">Training Opportunities</a></li> <li><a href="/research-training/library-resources">Library Resources</a></li> <li><a href="/research-training/research-resources">Research Resources</a></li> <li><a href="/research-training/clinical-research-resources">Clinical Research Resources</a></li> <li><a href="/research-training/safety-regulation-guidance">Safety, Regulation and Guidance</a></li> </ul> <p class="more-wrapper"><a class="button gold" href="/research-training" title="More Research & Training">More »</a></p> </div> <div class="megamenu-col megamenu-rightcol"> <p class="subhead">Quick Links</p> <ul> <li><a class="minibadge minibadge-pubmed" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov"><span class="minibadge-text">PubMed</span></a></li> <li><a class="minibadge minibadge-stemcell" href="https://stemcells.nih.gov"><span class="minibadge-text">Stem Cell Information</span></a></li> <li><a class="minibadge minibadge-oppnet" href="https://oppnet.nih.gov"><span class="minibadge-text">OppNet</span></a></li> <li><a class="minibadge minibadge-nidb" href="https://intramural.nih.gov"><span class="minibadge-text">NIDB</span></a></li> <li><a class="minibadge minibadge-nihblueprint" href="https://neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov"><span class="minibadge-text">NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </li>  <li class="tab-wrapper tab-wrapper-institutes tab-wrapper-right"> <div class="tab"><a href="/institutes-nih"><span>Institutes at NIH</span></a></div> <div class="megamenu"> <div class="megamenu-col megamenu-leftcol"> <ul> <li><a href="/institutes-nih/list-institutes-centers">List of Institutes and Centers</a></li> <li><a href="/institutes-nih/nih-office-director">NIH Office of the Director</a></li> <li><a href="/institutes-nih/directors-nih-institutes-centers">Directors of NIH Institutes and Centers</a></li> <li><a href="/institutes-nih/nih-institute-center-contact-information">NIH Institute and Center Contact Information</a></li> </ul> <p class="more-wrapper"><a class="button gold" href="/institutes-nih" title="More About the Institutes at NIH">More »</a></p> </div> <div class="megamenu-col megamenu-rightcol"> <p class="subhead">Quick Links</p> <ul class="ic-acronymn-list"> <li><a href="https://www.cancer.gov" title="National Cancer Institute">NCI</a></li> <li><a href="https://nei.nih.gov" title="National Eye Institute">NEI</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov" title="National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute">NHLBI</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.genome.gov" title="National Human Genome Research Institute">NHGRI</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov" title="National Institute on Aging">NIA</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.niaaa.nih.gov" title="National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism">NIAAA</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.niaid.nih.gov" title="National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases">NIAID</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.niams.nih.gov" title="National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases">NIAMS</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.nibib.nih.gov" title="National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering">NIBIB</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.nichd.nih.gov" title="Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development">NICHD</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.nidcd.nih.gov" title="National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders">NIDCD</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.nidcr.nih.gov" title="National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research">NIDCR</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.niddk.nih.gov" title="National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases">NIDDK</a></li> <li><a href="https://nida.nih.gov" title="National Institute on Drug Abuse">NIDA</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.niehs.nih.gov" title="National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences">NIEHS</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.nigms.nih.gov" title="National Institute of General Medical Sciences">NIGMS</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov" title="National Institute of Mental Health">NIMH</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.nimhd.nih.gov" title="National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities">NIMHD</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ninds.nih.gov" title="National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke">NINDS</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ninr.nih.gov" title="National Institute of Nursing Research">NINR</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.nlm.nih.gov" title="National Library of Medicine">NLM</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.cc.nih.gov" title="NIH Clinical Center">CC</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.cit.nih.gov" title="Center for Information Technology">CIT</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.csr.nih.gov" title="Center for Scientific Review">CSR</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.fic.nih.gov" title="Fogarty International Center">FIC</a></li> <li><a href="https://ncats.nih.gov" title="National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences">NCATS</a></li> <li><a href="https://nccih.nih.gov" title="National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health">NCCIH</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </li>  <li class="tab-wrapper tab-wrapper-about tab-wrapper-right"> <div class="tab"><a href="/about-nih"><span>About NIH</span></a></div> <div class="megamenu"> <div class="megamenu-col megamenu-leftcol"> <ul> <li><a href="/about-nih/who-we-are">Who We Are</a></li> <li><a href="/about-nih/what-we-do">What We Do</a></li> <li><a href="https://hr.nih.gov/jobs">Jobs at NIH</a></li> <li><a href="/about-nih/visitor-information">Visitor Information</a></li> <li><a href="/about-nih/frequently-asked-questions">Frequently Asked Questions</a></li> <li><a href="/about-nih/contact-us">Contact Us</a></li>  </ul> <p class="more-wrapper"><a class="button gold" href="/about-nih" title="More About NIH">More »</a></p> </div> <div class="megamenu-col megamenu-rightcol"> <p class="subhead">Quick Links</p> <ul> <li><a href="/about-nih/who-we-are/nih-director">The NIH Director</a></li> <li><a href="/virtual-tour">Take the Virtual Tour</a></li> <li><a href="/about-nih/what-we-do/nih-turning-discovery-into-health">NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health<sup>®</sup></a></li> <li><a href="/about-nih/what-we-do/impact-nih-research">Impact of NIH Research</a></li> <li><a href="/about-nih/what-we-do/science-health-public-trust">Science, Health, and Public Trust</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </li> </ul> <div class="tab-bkgnd"></div> </nav>  </div> <div class="l-main-wrapper"> <div class="l-main" id="page-content"> <h2 class="element-invisible">You are here</h2><div class="breadcrumb"><a href="/">Home</a> » <a href="/news-events">News & Events</a> » <a href="/news-events/nih-research-matters">NIH Research Matters</a></div> <div class="l-region l-region--section-header"> <div id="block-block-101" class="block block--block sectionheader block--block-101" id="block-block-101" class="block block--block sectionheader block--block-101"> <div class="content" class="block__content"> <h2><a href="/news-events/nih-research-matters">NIH Research Matters</a></h2> </div> </div> </div> <div class="l-content-wrapper"> <div class="l-content" role="main"> <a id="main-content"></a> <div about="/news-events/nih-research-matters/accurate-blood-test-alzheimer-s-disease" typeof="sioc:Item foaf:Document" class="ds-1col node node--nih-research-matters view-mode-full node--full node--nih-research-matters--full clearfix"> <p class="publishdate"><span property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2024-08-13T00:00:00-04:00" class="date-display-single">August 13, 2024</span></p><div class='syndicate'><h1>Accurate blood test for Alzheimer’s disease</h1><div class="callout callout-with-border"><h3>At a Glance</h3> <ul> <li>A blood test identified Alzheimer’s disease correctly in older adults with about 90% accuracy.</li> <li>Such tests could help speed the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease in primary care clinics and help more people access treatments.</li> </ul></div><div class="media-float-right"><div class="ds-1col file file-image file-image-jpeg view-mode-floated_media clearfix"> <picture title="Nurse preparing a patient's arm for a blood test">  <source srcset="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/styles/floated_media_breakpoint-large/public/news-events/research-matters/2024/shutterstock_2430401517_0.jpg?itok=p-grLAAQ&timestamp=1723497250 1x" media="screen and (min-width: 960px)" /> <source srcset="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/styles/floated_media_breakpoint-medium/public/news-events/research-matters/2024/shutterstock_2430401517_0.jpg?itok=pUsFsXtM&timestamp=1723497250 1x" media="screen and (min-width: 800px)" /> <source srcset="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/styles/floated_media_breakpoint-medium-small/public/news-events/research-matters/2024/shutterstock_2430401517_0.jpg?itok=qDJ6IxaG&timestamp=1723497250 1x" media="screen and (min-width: 600px)" /> <source srcset="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/styles/floated_media_breakpoint-small/public/news-events/research-matters/2024/shutterstock_2430401517_0.jpg?itok=y3CP0btU&timestamp=1723497250 1x" media="screen and (min-width: 480px)" /> <source srcset="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/styles/floated_media_breakpoint-tiny/public/news-events/research-matters/2024/shutterstock_2430401517_0.jpg?itok=l6E1VEr7&timestamp=1723497250 1x" media="screen and (min-width: 0)" />  <img src="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/styles/floated_media_breakpoint-medium/public/news-events/research-matters/2024/shutterstock_2430401517_0.jpg?itok=pUsFsXtM&timestamp=1723497250" alt="Nurse preparing a patient's arm for a blood test" title="Nurse preparing a patient's arm for a blood test" /> </picture><span class="caption">Blood tests for Alzheimer's could help speed diagnosis of the disease in primary care clinics and help more people access treatments.</span><span class="credit">SeventyFour / Shutterstock</span></div> </div><p>An accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease currently requires either a sample of cerebrospinal fluid or a brain imaging test called a PET scan. Neither of these tests can be done in primary care clinics, where most people with cognitive complaints are first seen.</p> <p>Such bottlenecks slow or prevent the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Not having an official diagnosis prevents people from receiving drugs that can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s. It can also keep them from joining studies of new treatments.</p> <p>Researchers have been working to develop easier blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease. These tests measure proteins related to Alzheimer’s disease called amyloid beta and tau. Abnormal buildup of certain forms of amyloid beta and tau can cause them to spill into the bloodstream from the brain. Many blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease have shown promising results. However, to date, most studies of these tests have not been done in real-world settings such as community clinics.</p> <p>In a new study, funded in part by NIH, researchers led by Drs. Sebastian Palmqvist and Oskar Hansson from Lund University in Sweden collected blood samples from people who were being evaluated because of cognitive symptoms. More than 500 older adults were recruited from local primary care clinics and nearly 700 from nearby specialty memory care clinics.</p> <p>The researchers used a test called PrecivityAD2. This measures the ratio of two types of amyloid beta as well as the proportion of tau made up of a specific type called p-tau217. Both measures were previously shown to predict a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. In a previous study, the team defined the levels of these molecules required to confirm a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.</p> <p>In the new study, the researchers compared blood test results with those from either a spinal-fluid test or PET scan. They also compared the performance of the blood test with that of standard clinical evaluations performed by doctors. Such evaluations include a physical examination, cognitive testing, and a CT scan of the brain. Results were published on July 28, 2024, in <em>JAMA</em>.</p> <p>Across all the participants, the blood test predicted a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease with 88% to 92% accuracy. Further analysis found that measuring the proportion of p-tau217 alone yielded results similar to using both measures.</p> <p>The blood test performed far better than clinical evaluations done without biomarker-based testing. Such clinical evaluations were 73% accurate at identifying Alzheimer’s disease when done in specialty memory clinics, and only 61% accurate when done in primary care settings.</p> <p>“We see this as a major step towards global clinical implementation of an Alzheimer’s blood test,” Hansson says. "The next steps include establishing clear guidelines for how an Alzheimer’s blood test can be used in clinical practice, preferably by implementing these tests first in specialist care and then in primary care. This work is currently ongoing.”</p> <p>While the test used in the study is sold in the U.S., it is not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration or covered by most insurance plans. The study also needs to be replicated in more diverse populations than the Swedish one studied.</p> <p>—by Sharon Reynolds</p></div><h2 class="label-above">Related Links</h2><ul class="spaced print-urls"><li><a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/quick-test-could-help-reduce-dementia-care-disparities" target="_top">Quick Test Could Help Reduce Dementia Care Disparities</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/cognitive-impairment-among-older-american-indians" target="_top">Cognitive Impairment Among Older American Indians</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/study-defines-major-genetic-form-alzheimer-s-disease" target="_top">Study Defines Major Genetic Form of Alzheimer’s Disease</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/research-context-diagnosing-dementia" target="_top">Research in Context: Diagnosing Dementia</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/blood-tests-show-promise-early-alzheimers-diagnosis" target="_top">Blood Test for Early Alzheimer’s Detection</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-symptoms-and-diagnosis/how-biomarkers-help-diagnose-dementia" target="_top">How Biomarkers Help Diagnose Dementia</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-and-dementia" target="_top">Alzheimer's and Dementia</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-and-dementia/about-adear-center" target="_top">Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center</a></li></ul><p class="footnote"><strong class="label-inline">References: </strong><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39068545/">Blood Biomarkers to Detect Alzheimer Disease in Primary Care and Secondary Care.</a> Palmqvist S, Tideman P, Mattsson-Carlgren N, Schindler SE, Smith R, Ossenkoppele R, Calling S, West T, Monane M, Verghese PB, Braunstein JB, Blennow K, Janelidze S, Stomrud E, Salvadó G, Hansson O. <em>JAMA</em>. 2024 Jul 28:e2413855. doi: 10.1001/jama.2024.13855. Online ahead of print. PMID: 39068545.</p><p class="footnote"><strong class="label-inline">Funding: </strong>NIH’s National Institute on Aging (NIA); Alzheimer’s Association; GHR Foundation; European Research Council; Swedish Research Council; ERA PerMed; Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation; Strategic Research Area MultiPark at Lund University; Swedish Alzheimer Foundation; Swedish Brain Foundation; Family Rönström’s Foundation, Parkinson Foundation of Sweden, Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, Konung Gustaf V:s och Drottning Victorias Frimurarestiftelse; Skåne University Hospital Foundation; EU Joint Programme Neurodegenerative Diseases; Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems, and Software Program; SciLifeLab and Wallenberg National Program for Data-Driven Life Science; Regionalt Forskningsstöd; Swedish Federal Government; European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program; GE Healthcare; C2N Diagnostics.</p> </div> <div class="lastupdated"> </div> </div> <aside class="l-region l-region--sidebar-second masonry-container"> <div id="block-ds-extras-in-this-edition" class="block block--ds-extras box block--ds-extras-in-this-edition" id="block-ds-extras-in-this-edition" class="block block--ds-extras box block--ds-extras-in-this-edition"> <h3 class="block__title">In this Edition</h3> <div class="content" class="block__content"> <div class="view view-nih-rm-in-this-edition view-id-nih_rm_in_this_edition view-display-id-default view-dom-id-8b0a34a6d2c4b0f274043115fdb6b02a"> <div class="view-content"> <div> <p><a href="/news-events/nih-research-matters/accurate-blood-test-alzheimer-s-disease" class="active">Accurate blood test for Alzheimer’s disease</a></p> </div> <div> <p><a href="/news-events/nih-research-matters/endometriosis-types-ovarian-cancer-risk">Endometriosis types and ovarian cancer risk</a></p> </div> <div> <p><a href="/news-events/nih-research-matters/how-psychedelic-drugs-alter-brain">How psychedelic drugs alter the brain</a></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="block-bean-research-matters-search" class="block block--bean box block--bean-research-matters-search" id="block-bean-research-matters-search" class="block block--bean box block--bean-research-matters-search"> <h3 class="block__title">Search NIH Research Matters</h3> <div class="content" class="block__content"> <div about="/block/research-matters---search" class="ds-1col entity entity-bean bean-research-matters-block view-mode-default clearfix">  <form id="directorsearch" accept-charset="UTF-8" action="https://search.nih.gov/search/docs" method="get" class="search-form"> <div class="input-wrapper"> <div style="margin:0;padding:0;display:inline"><input name="utf8" type="hidden" value="✓" /></div> <input id="affiliate" name="affiliate" type="hidden" value="nih" /> <input type="hidden" name="dc" value="678" /> <label for="query2" class="hide">Search NIH Research Matters' stories</label> <input autocomplete="off" class="usagov-search-autocomplete form-field form-field-search" id="query2" name="query" type="text" /> <input name="commit" type="submit" value="Go" id="searchbutton" class="form-button" /> </div> </form> </div> </div> </div> <div id="block-bean-research-matters-contact-us" class="block block--bean box block--bean-research-matters-contact-us" id="block-bean-research-matters-contact-us" class="block block--bean box block--bean-research-matters-contact-us"> <h3 class="block__title">Connect with Us</h3> <div class="content" class="block__content"> <div about="/block/research-matters---contact-us" class="ds-1col entity entity-bean bean-research-matters-block view-mode-default clearfix"> <p><a class="button-link" href="https://service.govdelivery.com/accounts/USNIH/subscriber/new?topic_id=USNIH_48" onclick="window.open(this.href,'popup','width=725,height=500,left=25,top=25,location=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes');return false;">Subscribe to get NIH Research Matters by email</a></p> <ul class="icon-list"> <li><a class="icon-link rss-monochrome" href="/nih-research-matters/feed.xml"><span class="icon"></span>RSS feed</a></li> <li><a class="icon-link facebook-monochrome" href="https://www.facebook.com/ResearchMatters"><span class="icon"></span>Facebook</a></li> <li><a class="icon-link email-monochrome" href="mailto:nihresearchmatters@od.nih.gov"><span class="icon"></span>Email us</a></li> </ul> <p><strong>Mailing Address:</strong><br /> NIH Research Matters<br /> Bldg. 31, Rm. 5B52, MSC 2094<br /> Bethesda, MD 20892-2094</p></div> </div> </div> <div id="block-bean-research-matters-popular-stori" class="block block--bean box block--bean-research-matters-popular-stori" id="block-bean-research-matters-popular-stori" class="block block--bean box block--bean-research-matters-popular-stori"> <h3 class="block__title">Popular Stories</h3> <div class="content" class="block__content"> <div about="/block/research-matters---popular-stori" class="ds-1col entity entity-bean bean-research-matters-block view-mode-default clearfix"> <p><a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/brain-waste-clearance-system-shown-people-first-time">Brain waste-clearance system shown in people for first time</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/why-protective-antibodies-fade-after-covid-19-vaccines">Why protective antibodies fade after COVID-19 vaccines</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/sex-differences-how-body-reduces-pain">Sex differences in how the body reduces pain</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/accurate-blood-test-alzheimer-s-disease">Accurate blood test for Alzheimer’s disease</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/research-context-can-we-slow-aging">Research in Context: Can we slow aging?</a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div id="block-bean-research-matters-about" class="block block--bean box block--bean-research-matters-about" id="block-bean-research-matters-about" class="block block--bean box block--bean-research-matters-about"> <h3 class="block__title">About NIH Research Matters</h3> <div class="content" class="block__content"> <div about="/block/research-matters---about" class="ds-1col entity entity-bean bean-research-matters-block view-mode-default clearfix"> <p><strong>Editor:</strong> Harrison Wein, Ph.D.</p> <p><strong>Assistant Editors:</strong> Vicki Contie and Brian Doctrow, Ph.D.</p> <p><strong><em>NIH Research Matters </em></strong>is a weekly update of NIH research highlights reviewed by NIH’s experts. It's published by the <a href="/institutes-nih/nih-office-director/office-communications-public-liaison">Office of Communications and Public Liaison</a> in the <a href="/institutes-nih/nih-office-director">NIH Office of the Director</a>.</p> <p>ISSN 2375-9593</p> </div> </div> </div> </aside> </div> <div class="l-connect-wrapper"> <div class="l-connect"> <h2 class="element-invisible">Connect with Us</h2> <ul> <li><a class="contactus-monochrome" href="/about-nih/contact-us"><span class="icon"></span>Contact Us</a></li> <li><a class="twitter-monochrome" href="https://twitter.com/NIH"><span class="icon"></span>X</a></li> <li><a class="facebook-monochrome" href="https://www.facebook.com/nih.gov"><span class="icon"></span>Facebook</a></li> <li><a class="instagram-monochrome" href="https://www.instagram.com/nihgov/"><span class="icon"></span>Instagram</a></li> <li><a class="youtube-monochrome" href="https://www.youtube.com/user/nihod"><span class="icon"></span>YouTube</a></li> <li><a class="flickr-monochrome" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nihgov/"><span class="icon"></span>Flickr</a></li> <li><a class="social-monochrome" href="/news-events/social-media-outreach"><span class="icon"></span>More Social Media from NIH</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="l-footer-wrapper"> <footer class="l-footer" role="contentinfo"> <h2 class="element-invisible">Footer</h2> <ul> <li><a href="/">NIH Home</a></li> <li><a href="/virtual-tour">Virtual Tour</a></li> <li><a href="https://salud.nih.gov">En Español</a></li> <li><a href="/about-nih/visitor-information">Visitor Information</a></li> <li><a href="/about-nih/frequently-asked-questions">Frequently Asked Questions</a></li> <li><a href="/privacy-policy">Privacy Policy</a></li> <li><a href="/disclaimers">Disclaimers</a></li> <li><a href="/accessibility">Accessibility</a></li> <li><a href="/nih-website-archives">NIH Website Archives</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="/nondiscrimination-notice">Nondiscrimination Notice</a></li> <li><a href="/institutes-nih/nih-office-director/office-communications-public-liaison/freedom-information-act-office">Freedom of Information Act</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.edi.nih.gov/no-fear-act">No Fear Act</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.hhs.gov/vulnerability-disclosure-policy/index.html">HHS Vulnerability Disclosure</a></li> <li><a href="https://oig.hhs.gov">Office of Inspector General</a></li> <li><a class="lastTab" href="https://www.usa.gov/">USA.gov</a></li> </ul> <p>NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health<sup>®</sup></p> <p>National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892</p> <p><a href="https://www.hhs.gov">U.S. Department of Health and Human Services</a></p> </footer> </div> <div class="back-to-top"><a href="#"><span class="icon-arrow-up"></span><span class="text">Back to Top</span></a></div> </div> </div> <script src="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/js/js_7Ukqb3ierdBEL0eowfOKzTkNu-Le97OPm-UqTS5NENU.js"></script> <script src="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/js/js_E9yUYWK8EMydR0HMIp2PahVxPAClXyH0Cnh782A15UM.js"></script> </body> </html>