Blood-Based Alzheimer's Test Matches Specialist Accuracy in Primary Care

Researchers tracking 1,310 patients found that primary care physicians using the PrecivityAD2 biomarker test achieved 93% diagnostic accuracy, effectively closing the gap with dementia specialists who reached 94% using the same data. The test, which identifies abnormal amyloid beta and phosphorylated tau proteins, proved particularly effective at helping general practitioners rule out Alzheimer's, allowing them to redirect patients toward investigating other causes for cognitive decline.

Before the test results were available, diagnostic accuracy in primary care settings sat at 65%. Upon reviewing the blood profiles, clinicians revised their diagnoses for roughly one-third of their patients and altered care plans for more than half. While these results suggest a major shift in clinical management, lead author Sebastian Palmqvist noted that primary care doctors still prioritize referring patients to specialists for final confirmation. To support this transition, the Alzheimer's Association is developing a decision-making tool for clinicians to ensure these diagnostic tools are deployed appropriately across the medical continuum.