BOCA RATON, Fla. – The use of blood tests to aid in the detection of Alzheimer’s disease may be expanding.
The FDA has approved specific tests to confirm the presence of amyloid build-up and blood biomarkers in patients undergoing treatment for the disease.
Dr. James Galvin with UHealth’s Comprehensive Center for Brain Health said a recent study into a simple at-home finger prick test is also showing promise in detecting Alzheimer’s.
“In a study done in Spain, 77 people, so small study, it appeared it did very well compared to the usual tests we would do in a clinical lab,” he said.
Galvin said if the results are replicated and validated in large scale studies, the test could ultimately be beneficial to patients in remote areas where clinical settings aren’t easily accessible.
DEATH FROM OPIOIDS AMONG DEMENTIA PATIENTS
And a new study finds that older adults who start on opioids after a dementia diagnosis are at greater risk of death.
A 10-year study of Alzheimer’s patients in Denmark found one-third died within 180 days after their first opioid dose.
That’s five times as many as those with the disease who didn’t take opioids.
Among those who used fentanyl patches as their first prescription, nearly two-thirds also died within the first 180 days.
CDC guidelines state that opioid therapy should only be considered for pain if the benefits are anticipated to outweigh risks, particularly in older patients with dementia.