Last week, more than 13,000 researchers and clinicians gathered in London and online for the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) — the largest scientific meeting in our field. Two studies released there show just how fast the science behind Alzheimer’s blood tests is moving. 

The tests measure specific forms of a protein called phosphorylated tau, or p-tau, which appears in the bloodstream as Alzheimer’s pathology develops in the brain. The FDA-cleared tests available today are already highly accurate for people with symptoms, and new AAIC research points to where the science is headed next — including how early these tests could flag risk before symptoms ever start. I walk through both studies and what they mean for the ASAP Act in this week’s episode of the ASAP Minute. 

▶ Watch Episode 11: Inside the Blood Test 

One study confirms what’s already happening in clinics: a positive blood test helps doctors, including primary care physicians, reach an accurate diagnosis faster for patients with symptoms. The second points further out. Researchers followed nearly 2,700 cognitively healthy older adults for up to a decade, and found that those with the highest levels of one biomarker, p-tau217, had a 78% chance of developing cognitive impairment within that window. 

That’s the mammogram moment we keep talking about — and it’s still out of reach. Under current law, Medicare cannot cover any screening test for the diseases that cause dementia, no matter how promising the science. The ASAP Act would give Medicare the authority to cover tests like these going forward, and as more tests come to market, that authority only becomes more important. 

The science keeps moving. Tell your member of Congress it’s time for the law to catch up.