FDA OKS FIRST BLOOD TEST THAT CAN HELP DIAGNOSE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Summary from the TLDR newsletter

A blood test has been approved by US health officials for diagnosing Alzheimer's in patients 55 and older who are showing early signs of the disease. The test identifies a key marker for Alzheimer's, beta-amyloid. The low costs and convenience of the blood test may help expand the use of drugs shown to slightly slow the progression of the disease. Previously, the only FDA-approved methods for detecting beta-amyloid were invasive tests of spinal fluid or expensive PET scans.