SALT LAKE CITY — A new blood test used to detect the pathology of Alzheimer’s Disease has just launched in Utah, and local experts are calling it revolutionary.
The pTau 217 Blood Test is something that’s been worked on for years at ARUP Laboratories on the University of Utah’s campus.
“We need to make sure that the performance characteristics of that test meet our standards and have high quality,” said Sonia La’ulu, a research scientist with ARUP.
La’ulu says they’re particularly excited to bring a testing option, like amyloid PET (positron emission tomography) scans or CSF (cerebrospinal fluid), without being so invasive.
“A lot of people don’t want to go to the doctor to get a spinal tap just to have a sample sent to the laboratory,” La’alu said.
With the newly launched blood test, “they can just have a simple blood draw and go and get that sent in,” said La’ulu.
It makes seeing the signs potentially much simpler, and it’s a project that La’ulu holds close to her heart because of her grandmother.
“I think she was in her 70s when she started noticing the cognitive decline,” La’ulu said. “I’ll never forget when I went to go visit her in Hawaii and I looked at her face and she didn’t know who I was.”
Her paternal grandmother was among millions of Americans who’ve suffered with Alzheimer’s.
“Every sample is a person… We treat them that way to make sure the results we provide have high quality,” said La’ulu.
While this is a big step forward, these experts also say it’s just one of several steps you should take when it comes to risk reduction.
“Are you sleeping eight hours a night?” said Jeremy Cunningham. “How are you eating? What are you doing? Are you staying socially active? Are you physically active?”
The test is designed for those aged 60 and older.
Cunningham is the public policy director for the Utah chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and notes these tests can be combined with new FDA-approved treatments.
“It’s really important to work with your doctor to figure out a solution for your health,” Cunningham said.
They’re advancements that give them hope for the future of fighting this disease.
“One of the ways it impacts the state so deeply is we have an aging population,” said Cunningham.
This gives them the chance to better support that population — no matter what their struggle may be.
“To determine is it Alzheimer’s or is it another disease that’s causing memory loss… is phenomenal,” Cunningham said.
