MDLinxBlood May Hold the Key to Unlocking Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

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New diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer’s disease incorporate blood-based biomarkers, reflecting a growing understanding of the condition’s biological underpinnings. These changes aim to improve diagnosis accuracy and guide treatment decisions, particularly for emerging therapies targeting specific disease processes.

Key Points:

• The Alzheimer’s Association Workgroup released revised diagnostic criteria in June 2024, introducing a biomarker classification system.
• Core biomarkers are categorized into two subtypes: Core 1 (early changes) and Core 2 (later changes providing prognostic information).
• Blood-based biomarkers can detect Alzheimer’s-related changes before symptom onset.
• Three FDA-approved anti-amyloid immunotherapy treatments now require biomarker confirmation for eligibility.
• Clinical judgment remains crucial in diagnosis, with biomarker testing not currently recommended for asymptomatic individuals.
• Concerns exist about potential adverse effects of labeling asymptomatic individuals with positive biomarkers.
• Further research and clinical testing are needed to refine the role of biomarker testing in Alzheimer’s diagnosis and treatment.

“These updates to the diagnostic criteria are needed now because we know more about the underlying biology of Alzheimer’s, and we are able to measure those changes.”
– Clifford R. Jack, Jr., MD, Professor of Radiology at the Mayo Clinic

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