Breakthrough Alzheimer's Blood Test Creates Demand for Proactive and Preventative Health Solutions
The buzz around a new, highly accurate (95% sensitivity claimed, though 82% specificity raises concerns) blood test for early Alzheimer's detection highlights significant public interest and a desire for proactive health measures. Many people hope these tests will become standard for at-risk populations, like those over 50, indicating a potential market shift towards preventative diagnostics for neurodegenerative diseases.
Key sentiments and observations:
- Demand for Accessibility & Standardization: There's a strong desire for these tests to be "practically used" and integrated into routine check-ups.
- Concerns about Accuracy & Implications: Significant discussion revolves around the 82% specificity and the severe impact of false positives for a devastating diagnosis like Alzheimer's.
- Need for Actionable Outcomes: Questions arise about what can be done if the disease is detected early. Can we slow it down or stop it?
- Positioning as a Screening Tool: Recognition that this test might be an initial step, leading to further, more definitive diagnostics (e.g., PET scans) rather than a standalone diagnostic tool.
- Interest in Complementary Measures: Mention of lifestyle interventions (like living super healthy and training your brain a lot) as potential ways to mitigate risk or slow progression.
This points to a growing public acceptance and demand for early, accessible screening technologies, despite valid concerns about their current limitations.
Commercial or Marketing Opportunities:
-
Diagnostic Companies:
- Product Development & Refinement: Focus on improving specificity to reduce false positives, which is a major concern. Marketing should clearly communicate both sensitivity and specificity, and the test's role (screening vs. definitive diagnosis).
- Market Entry & Education: Develop campaigns targeting primary care physicians (GPs) on integrating this as an initial screening tool. Provide educational materials for patients explaining the test, its implications, and potential next steps.
- Partnerships: Collaborate with research institutions (like the Mayo Clinic) to build credibility and with healthcare systems for broader adoption.
-
Healthcare Providers (Clinics, Hospitals, GP Networks):
- Integrated Cognitive Health Programs: Offer comprehensive cognitive health check-ups for target demographics, incorporating this blood test as an early screening component, followed by clear pathways for further investigation and counseling.
- Patient Support & Navigation Services: Provide resources and counseling for individuals who test positive (or receive concerning results), guiding them through follow-up diagnostics and care options.
-
Digital Health & Wellness Tech:
- Cognitive Monitoring & Brain Training Apps: Market apps for brain training, cognitive exercises, and lifestyle tracking (diet, sleep, exercise) as proactive or complementary measures, especially for those concerned about cognitive decline or who have undergone screening.
- Telehealth Platforms: Offer specialized telehealth consultations for discussing cognitive health concerns, test results, and preventative strategies.
-
Pharmaceutical & Nutraceutical Companies:
- Early-Stage Intervention R&D: Increased impetus for developing and marketing treatments or supplements aimed at early-stage Alzheimer's or cognitive decline, as earlier detection creates a larger window for intervention.
- Lifestyle & Supplement Brands: Promote products (e.g., brain-healthy diets, specific supplements) that can be marketed as supporting cognitive health, potentially in conjunction with or as a follow-up to early screening. (Ethical marketing and substantiated claims are crucial).
-
Educational & Advocacy Organizations:
- Public Awareness Campaigns: Develop materials to educate the public about the benefits and limitations of new diagnostic tools, the importance of early detection, and the current state of Alzheimer's prevention and treatment.
- Policy Advocacy: Advocate for guidelines on the responsible use of such screening tests and for insurance coverage.
Origin Reddit Post
r/science
Alzheimer’s blood test can spot people with early symptoms. Researchers found the blood test was highly accurate, with 95% sensitivity, which means it was 95% accurate in picking up people wi
Posted by u/Wagamaga•06/07/2025
Top Comments
u/Alarming-Contract-10
Read the article
u/premature_eulogy
Unfortunately [reducing amyloid plaque doesn't seem to help with the other symptoms of Alzheimer's](https://med.stanford.edu/news/insights/2024/03/why-alzheimers-plaque-attack-drugs-dont-work
u/fascinatedobserver
Any false positives though?
u/triffid_boy
But with a specificity of 82% there's a decent chance that you'll get a false positive. This is why we don't just screen for every cancer and medical condition without symptoms or family hist
u/idwagerthisinttaken
Why though? The lack of cure places this disease firmly in the "ignorance is bliss" category.
My dad died of this illness earlier this year and while he knew something was wrong at the beginn
u/Sensitive-Inside-250
Can we slow it down or stop it if found that early?
u/ShippuuNoMai
It’s not true that there’s nothing you can do to improve your prognosis. There are lifestyle changes that you can make with regard to [diet, exercise, and sleep to slow the progression of sym
u/funkaria
82% specifity is really bad though, if you think about the consequences of a false positive. Alzheimers is such a devastating diagnosis, that you can't just risk diagnosing a significant amou
u/tifumostdays
Do you recall the mechanism? Like was the immune system trained to remove the amyloid plaques?
u/premature_eulogy
Unfortunately [reducing amyloid plaque doesn't seem to help with the other symptoms of Alzheimer's](https://med.stanford.edu/news/insights/2024/03/why-alzheimers-plaque-attack-drugs-dont-work
u/Superunknown_7
I was gonna say, headline is misleading and editorialized. Sensitivity != accuracy.
u/Sensitive-Inside-250
Can we slow it down or stop it if found that early?
u/Glittering_Cow945
But what is the specificity? catching 95% of Alzheimers cases doesn't mean anything if you catch 200 people with a positive result who don't have it in the same run.Oh. Specificity 82%.
Ok
u/Sensitive-Inside-250
Can we slow it down or stop it if found that early?
u/Superunknown_7
I was gonna say, headline is misleading and editorialized. Sensitivity != accuracy.
u/xeripen
Slowing down a litte if you live super healthy and train your brain a lot
u/MagnificentSlurpee
This is not scientifically based but it is based on science that I’ve read, which I can’t find and point you to. But I’m sure you’ve heard that Alzheimer’s is sometimes called “Type 3 Diabete
u/swbarnes2
I don't think people have thrown away the hypothesis entirely, but at least some of the evidence looks to have been fraudulent.
u/HappeningOnMe
Always a new test, never practically used. I honestly hope we see these as standard yearly tests for people over 50
u/tifumostdays
Do you recall the mechanism? Like was the immune system trained to remove the amyloid plaques?
u/SaltZookeepergame691
And these are people who got an actual clinical diagnosis *at the same time*, including as the blood test. So 1) the blood test isn't serving any additional purpose; 2) the clinical diagnosi
u/Steve_Jobed
I thought the amyloid plaque hypothesis was a dead end and a major waste of time and funding because we over indexed on it?
u/Latter-Ad-689
I can't believe how credulous science reporting is. Blithely accepting the description of a test that fails to identify a condition, when present, 5% of the time while also incorrectly report
u/nagi603
In other words, if you get positive result, you have 59% chance of it being an actual case of Alzheimer's.
u/ShippuuNoMai
It’s not true that there’s nothing you can do to improve your prognosis. There are lifestyle changes that you can make with regard to [diet, exercise, and sleep to slow the progression of sym
u/Mailman7
I don’t think they would use this test alone to make a diagnosis. It may be an initial test done, perhaps within a GP setting, that if showed anything would mean further tests (PET, etc) woul
u/VoilaVoilaWashington
> and a major waste of time and funding
A negative result isn't a waste of time or resources. "I checked the bedroom for my keys but they're not there, what a waste of time." If you don'
u/HappeningOnMe
Always a new test, never practically used. I honestly hope we see these as standard yearly tests for people over 50
u/HappeningOnMe
Always a new test, never practically used. I honestly hope we see these as standard yearly tests for people over 50
u/Wagamaga
A new blood test for Alzheimer’s disease can accurately detect people with early symptoms, research suggests.
Experts from the Mayo Clinic in the US have provided further evidence that blood
u/Latter-Ad-689
I can't believe how credulous science reporting is. Blithely accepting the description of a test that fails to identify a condition, when present, 5% of the time while also incorrectly report
u/flac_rules
Is 82% really highly accurate?
u/RedBeans-n-Ricely
There are vaccines in clinical trials (or were before funding started being cut), but a problem has been that people needed to be symptomatic to qualify for the study. Its possible that the v
u/4-Vektor
Yeah, if I take a very rough estimate, with 7% of the relevant age group having Alzheimer’s, then about 4.65 % of people would get a false positive, and 6.65 % get a true positive.
u/funkaria
82% specifity is really bad though, if you think about the consequences of a false positive. Alzheimers is such a devastating diagnosis, that you can't just risk diagnosing a significant amou
u/triffid_boy
But with a specificity of 82% there's a decent chance that you'll get a false positive. This is why we don't just screen for every cancer and medical condition without symptoms or family hist
u/4-Vektor
Yeah, if I take a very rough estimate, with 7% of the relevant age group having Alzheimer’s, then about 4.65 % of people would get a false positive, and 6.65 % get a true positive.
u/Steve_Jobed
I thought the amyloid plaque hypothesis was a dead end and a major waste of time and funding because we over indexed on it?
u/Apprehensive-Stop748
Excellent point. The same thing happens with severe mental illness diagnoses. When the patients get the diagnosis, they have an increased risk of taking their own lives. The label can really
u/idwagerthisinttaken
Why though? The lack of cure places this disease firmly in the "ignorance is bliss" category.
My dad died of this illness earlier this year and while he knew something was wrong at the beginn
u/RedBeans-n-Ricely
There are vaccines in clinical trials (or were before funding started being cut), but a problem has been that people needed to be symptomatic to qualify for the study. Its possible that the v
u/quintus_horatius
It's not just knowing if you have Alzheimer's.
It's knowing that you **don't** have Alzheimer's, which means your specific case may have a treatment.
u/xeripen
Slowing down a litte if you live super healthy and train your brain a lot
u/nagi603
In other words, if you get positive result, you have 59% chance of it being an actual case of Alzheimer's.
u/xeripen
Slowing down a litte if you live super healthy and train your brain a lot
u/swbarnes2
I don't think people have thrown away the hypothesis entirely, but at least some of the evidence looks to have been fraudulent.
u/Gitdupapsootlass
Oh dude, no - there's a very real practical application here that has nothing to do with treatment or cure and everything to do with preparation. Many older members of my family have or have
u/VoilaVoilaWashington
> and a major waste of time and funding
A negative result isn't a waste of time or resources. "I checked the bedroom for my keys but they're not there, what a waste of time." If you don'
u/quintus_horatius
It's not just knowing if you have Alzheimer's.
It's knowing that you **don't** have Alzheimer's, which means your specific case may have a treatment.
u/funkaria
82% specifity is really bad though, if you think about the consequences of a false positive. Alzheimers is such a devastating diagnosis, that you can't just risk diagnosing a significant amou
u/Wagamaga
A new blood test for Alzheimer’s disease can accurately detect people with early symptoms, research suggests.
Experts from the Mayo Clinic in the US have provided further evidence that blood
u/Gitdupapsootlass
Oh dude, no - there's a very real practical application here that has nothing to do with treatment or cure and everything to do with preparation. Many older members of my family have or have
u/Wagamaga
A new blood test for Alzheimer’s disease can accurately detect people with early symptoms, research suggests.
Experts from the Mayo Clinic in the US have provided further evidence that blood
u/Apprehensive-Stop748
Excellent point. The same thing happens with severe mental illness diagnoses. When the patients get the diagnosis, they have an increased risk of taking their own lives. The label can really
u/Glittering_Cow945
But what is the specificity? catching 95% of Alzheimers cases doesn't mean anything if you catch 200 people with a positive result who don't have it in the same run.Oh. Specificity 82%.
Ok
u/xaynia
Fish oil helps reduce amyloid plaque in the brain
u/xaynia
Fish oil helps reduce amyloid plaque in the brain