Blood test results allow primary care physicians to diagnose Alzheimer\u2019s disease with nearly the same accuracy as specialists, according to data reported at the Alzheimer\u2019s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2026.<\/p>\n
In a real-world study involving more than 1,300 patients and 165 physicians, researchers found that a blood-based biomarker test improved the accuracy of Alzheimer\u2019s diagnosis in both primary and specialty care settings. The test measures amyloid beta and phosphorylated tau<\/a>, which are abnormal brain proteins associated with the disease.<\/p>\n The interim results included 1,310 patients with mild cognitive impairment or dementia in Sweden. Among those evaluated in primary care, physicians\u2019 diagnostic accuracy rose from 65% before receiving blood test results to 93% after. Specialists saw their diagnostic accuracy rise from 74% to 89% after receiving the results. In a head-to-head comparison, both primary care physicians and dementia specialists achieved approximately 90% accuracy.<\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted to find out whether a simple blood test for Alzheimer\u2019s changes how doctors actually diagnose and manage their patients in everyday clinical care,\u201d says Sebastian Palmqvist<\/a>, lead author of the study, neurologist and associate professor of neurology at Lund University, Sweden, in a release. \u201cAccurate Alzheimer\u2019s diagnosis has largely been limited to specialist settings. Our findings show that this blood test could bring that level of accuracy into primary care, where most patients are first seen, closing the gap between primary care and specialty care.\u201d<\/p>\n Impact on Clinical Decision-Making<\/p>\n The researchers used the PrecivityAD2 blood test<\/a> to measure the impact on clinical management. After reviewing the test results, physicians changed their diagnoses for approximately one-third of patients. Furthermore, care plans and future examination schedules were revised for more than half of the patients.<\/p>\n The study found the blood test was particularly effective in primary care for ruling out Alzheimer\u2019s disease. Primary care clinicians increased their willingness to rule out the disease from 12.9% to 25% following a negative test result.<\/p>\n \u201cA negative result helped primary care physicians confidently rule out Alzheimer\u2019s and look for other causes of the symptoms,\u201d says Palmqvist in a release.<\/p>\n Improving Access to Diagnosis<\/p>\n Currently, the standard of care for confirming Alzheimer\u2019s disease requires specialized tools such as amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) scans<\/a> or cerebrospinal fluid analysis. These methods are often expensive and limited to specialized memory clinics.<\/p>\n