At-home test could spot Alzheimer's risk early

Scientists say a simple at-home test could spot someone's risk of Alzheimer's disease before symptoms take hold, in what experts call a major step towards earlier diagnosis and support.

The new approach uses a finger-prick blood sample and a short online brain test that people can complete from their own homes.

Researchers from the University of Exeter Medical School say it could help reach people who are struggling with their memory or thinking but have not yet seen a specialist.

Nearly one million people in the UK are thought to be living with dementia, yet very few people with early warning signs get checked, said the medical school.

Prof Anne Corbett, who led the research, said: "Our previous research has shown that a finger-prick blood test can effectively be taken at home and posted to labs, and that we can identify the biomarkers in blood linked to dementia.

"This new study builds on that to show that we can link these biomarkers with performance on brain tests, giving us a potential way to predict risk of dementia.

"This work raises the potential for screening people for their risk without the need for clinic visits or complex clinical assessments."

The study, published in Nature Communications, involved 174 people who completed the home kit and posted their blood samples back to a lab.

Dr Sheona Scales, of Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "Finger-prick blood tests could revolutionise dementia diagnosis, they offer a low cost, scalable way to identify people who may be at higher risk of Alzheimer's disease and who should be offered further checks."

She added that larger studies were still needed to confirm how well the test worked in everyday healthcare.

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