New Blood Test for Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease

Available at LabCorp, Phosphorylated Tau-217 had 79% Positive Predictive Value

By Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPH

About two thirds of all dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Approximately 1 in 9 people (11%) aged 65 and older have Alzheimer's. The risk increases dramatically with age: ages 65–74: 5.0%, ages 75–84: 13.1%, ages 85 and older: 33.3%. Thus, any progress on screening and detection, diagnosis, prognosis, and management is welcome.

Salvado et al reported on the diagnostic features of a new blood test plasma phosphorylated tau against a reference standard of amyloid beta protein, a known marker of Alzheimer’s found in the brain by PET or spinal fluid.