By Erin Kayata
Over 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, but up until now, the only ways to diagnose the disease, which causes progressive memory loss, were through a costly PET scan or a painful lumbar puncture to test a patient’s cerebrospinal fluid.
But this could all change soon. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved a new blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer’s, and Northeastern University experts say the test could help patients and their families detect the disease earlier and get better treatment.
“Having a blood test is much easier than having to go get a PET scan, which is a little daunting for people,” says Gary Young, professor of public health and health sciences at Northeastern. “A lumbar puncture, while typically done without much discomfort, is also going to be a little bit more distressing. The blood test is a very positive development.”
