Experts Reveal Blood Test Technology That Could Allow Early Intervention to Prevent Alzheimer’s in Adults Throughout the UK

Dementia remains the UK’s deadliest disease, claiming over 75,000 lives each year.

Yet, despite its devastating impact, diagnosing it early has long been a struggle.

Many people only seek medical help when memory lapses or confusion become too obvious to ignore, often assuming these changes are just part of getting older.

But scientists may be on the verge of a breakthrough.

A new wave of blood tests is being trialled to identify Alzheimer’s disease—the most common form of dementia—decades before any outward symptoms show up.

Early detection could give patients the chance to make lifestyle changes or receive targeted treatments that might slow or even prevent the disease from taking hold.

Why Early Detection Matters More Than Ever

Currently, nearly one million people in the UK live with dementia, and the disease causes more deaths than cancer or cardiovascular disease.

Often, these deaths result from secondary complications, such as infections from a weakened immune system or difficulty swallowing.

Late diagnosis is a major hurdle.

Around one in four people wait more than two years before seeking help for symptoms.

The hope with these new blood tests is that dementia could be spotted long before patients or families notice any signs, giving doctors a much-needed head start.

How the New Tests Work

Traditionally, diagnosing Alzheimer’s has relied on memory and cognitive tests, as well as expensive imaging techniques like MRI or PET scans to detect plaques in the brain.

Now, researchers are developing tests that can identify key Alzheimer’s proteins in the blood—sometimes from just a small sample from a vein in the arm.

One team is even working on a simple finger-prick test, similar to the blood glucose tests used by diabetics, which could be taken at home and sent to a lab for analysis.

This approach could make early detection more accessible to the public and reduce the stress of hospital visits.

Targeting Toxic Proteins

Researchers at Northwestern University in the US have identified toxic proteins called ACU193+ that appear to play a major role in the early inflammation and brain cell damage associated with Alzheimer’s.

These proteins can be detected in the blood up to 20 years before symptoms emerge.

Professor Richard Silverman, the senior author of the study, explained that catching Alzheimer’s this early is crucial because once symptoms appear, significant neurodegeneration has already occurred.

He added that pairing early diagnostics with effective treatments could eventually stop the disease in its tracks.

Current and Emerging Treatments

Existing medications, like cholinesterase inhibitors (e.g., Aricept), can help improve memory and cognitive function but are not cures.

Newer drugs such as lecanemab and donanemab show promise in slowing disease progression if used in the early symptomatic stages, though they are not widely available on the NHS due to high costs and potential side effects, including brain swelling or bleeding.

Excitingly, the Northwestern team has also discovered that a drug called NU-9, already used for motor neurone disease, can neutralize ACU193+ proteins in mice.

This raises hopes that NU-9 could potentially prevent or significantly delay Alzheimer’s onset in humans.

Other Promising Blood Tests

In the UK, University College Hospital in London has tested a blood assay called the Fujirebio Lumipulse on around 1,000 people.

This test detects a protein called pTau217, which indicates the presence of Alzheimer’s hallmarks in the brain, including tau tangles and amyloid plaques.

Professor Jonathan Schott, a neurologist at University College London, described pTau217 as one of the most promising biomarkers.

Some of these tests are so sensitive that they could detect one part per billion of a target protein in the blood—roughly the equivalent of finding a grain of salt in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

Challenges Ahead

Despite these advances, routine blood testing for dementia is not yet available.

Dr. Richard Oakley from Alzheimer’s Society warns that while widespread use is still some years away, the potential is transformative.

Currently, one in three people with dementia in the UK have no diagnosis. Early, accurate detection could change that, especially with new treatments becoming available.

What’s Next?

Clinical trials are ongoing for these blood tests, including trials in memory clinics in the UK.

The goal is to generate enough evidence for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to consider making them standard practice across the NHS.

Meanwhile, researchers continue to explore drugs that can act on these newly identified proteins.

If early detection can be combined with effective intervention, Alzheimer’s could shift from an inevitable decline to a condition that can be managed or even prevented.

Summary

Dementia kills more people in the UK than cancer or heart disease, yet early diagnosis has long been a challenge.

New blood tests targeting proteins like ACU193+ and pTau217 promise to detect Alzheimer’s decades before symptoms appear, opening the door to early interventions.

Current treatments can ease symptoms, and emerging drugs may slow or prevent progression, but wide access remains limited.

Ongoing trials aim to make these tests routine, giving patients the best chance to protect their brains while research continues to refine treatments.