Published 18.24
A new blood test in healthcare can show if you have an increased risk of Alzheimer’s. But healthy people can also test themselves with private operators, something that arouses criticism.
– Some tests are rubbish and can show errors, says chief physician Henrik Zetterberg.
With a blood test that measures the Alzheimer’s marker p-tau217, the disease can be detected up to 20 years before it causes symptoms. The test is described as groundbreaking and has been used for some time in specialist healthcare in Sweden – but then in combination with other test methods. Health centers are recommended to refuse tests to people who are “only” worried about being affected. It has opened up to private actors and already healthy people can test themselves at private clinics, including in Stockholm.
– It is completely the wrong way to use the method, says Henrik Zetterberg, professor of neurochemistry at the University of Gothenburg, who has led the development of the test method in Sweden.
He says that there are many different methods to measure p-tau217 and far from all of them are reliable. It can lead to false positive or negative results.
Must be investigated
– And just because you test positive, it is not certain that you will get Alzheimer’s in time. You may die from other diseases. The result must be investigated further.
The criterion for getting a blood test for p-tau217 markers in healthcare is that you have symptoms that raise the suspicion of Alzheimer’s.
– But the first step is to start with a basic memory examination and rule out other diseases that can also affect memory. Only after that can you proceed with blood tests, says Henrik Zetterberg.
Madelene Johanzon is a specialist doctor with expertise in cognitive disorders. She is also one of those who are currently reviewing the national healthcare program for which tests should be used and who should be allowed to do them.
No approved medicine
– We are getting more and more questions about the new blood tests and there will be even more when we have approved drugs to use. But so far I don’t think they should be used because you don’t know what to do with positive tests, she says.
There is currently no approved medicine to insert.
– That can cause it. I have seen people stop working early and relatives have become worried and questioned whether the person should continue driving. It could be tragic for everyone involved, says Madelene Johanzon.
She sees both pros and cons of being tested for the disease.
– Knowledge is usually good, but if you learn that you are at risk of getting sick – what should you do then? We don’t know that today.
The new Alzheimer’s test
P-tau217 a protein normally found inside nerve cells. The concentration of it is increased in Alzheimer’s disease by about 2-5 times the normal level. It is therefore used as a marker for the disease, either in spinal fluid or in blood.
Measurement of p-tau217 is likely to be of great importance in screening people at risk.
In order to be able to take the test in healthcare, it is usually required that you already have symptoms of the disease.
Private healthcare companies offer tests on healthy people without symptoms for around SEK 5,000.
There is still no approved treatment for Alzheimer’s in Sweden, but studies are ongoing.
