Alzheimer’s Research UK and the Alzheimer’s Society have launched a £5m project aiming to bring simple tests to the NHS, with the hope of speeding up diagnosis.
Blood tests which help detect Alzheimer's could be made available on the NHS within five years as charities join forces for a £5m project. Diagnosing the condition is often difficult and relies on drawing a sample of spinal fluid from the lower back - a process known as a lumbar puncture - or brain imaging. Many can face long waits to be seen, with less than two-thirds of people in England with dementia having a formal diagnosis.
'New era' of treatment only possible with better tests With medicines like donanemab and lecanemab found to slow cognitive decline, the need for blood tests to diagnose Alzheimer's - so people can benefit from treatment while it's effective - has become more pressing. Both these drugs are set to be assessed for use in the UK. 'We're sitting on the cusp of a new era of dementia treatments,' Dr Kohlhaas explained.
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