Doctors And Hospital Bosses Back Blood Tests To Boost Dementia Diagnosis And Treatment

New blood tests could transform dementia diagnosis – and NHS clinicians are excited by the prospect. With 94% of the UK public saying they would be willing to take a dementia blood test, new research from Alzheimer’s Research UK (ARUK) and Alzheimer’s Society shows healthcare professionals are also supportive of the tests to improve diagnostic accuracy and efficiency.

Currently, one in three people in the UK living with dementia do not receive a formal diagnosis, however, research is underway to produce new blood tests that can spot specific dementia-causing proteins and allow doctors to make quicker and more accurate diagnoses.

In the future, these tests will be used alongside current methods – such as cognitive assessments and brain scans – to give doctors and people with dementia a clearer picture of the disease.

A landmark initiative, the Blood Biomarkers Challenge, is accelerating progress.

Supported by ARUK, Alzheimer’s Society, the National Institute for Health and Care Research, Gates Ventures, and funded thanks to the People’s Postcode Lottery, this multi-million-pound programme aims to introduce dementia blood tests on the NHS within five years.

To assess their effectiveness in real-world settings, two major UK-wide clinical trials are underway:

• One examines multiple new and existing blood tests to determine their usefulness in diagnosing different types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies.
• The other will focus on a clinical trial to see how effective a specific blood test is in diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease in people with early-onset Alzheimer’s and mild memory problems.

Interviews with GPs, practice nurses, psychiatrists and NHS commissioners found strong enthusiasm for blood-based testing.

The respondents were based across the UK and had a range of knowledge about blood tests for dementia.

The clinicians were keen that blood tests should still be used in the future to help give the best diagnosis – enabling people to understand symptoms, make treatment adjustments and take part in relevant clinical trials – even if patients aren’t eligible for the latest developmental drugs.

Both clinicians and hospital bosses said that blood tests would be more efficient and a better use of NHS resources than having to wait for diagnostic scans, as well as being less stressful for patients. One commissioner said the tests would be an “absolute no brainer from both an economical point of view and a patient quality of care point of view”.

ARUK and Alzheimer’s Society are using the feedback we’ve had from this research when talking to politicians and NHS leaders about what needs to happen next to improve dementia diagnosis.

With the number of people living with dementia projected to rise by more than 40% by 2040, it is crucial they say that decision makers act now to improve diagnosis rates and treatment.