#More affordable Alzheimer’s blood test now available, despite concerns

A first-of-its-kind blood test for Alzheimer’s disease is now on sale, signaling a potential breakthrough for patients but also raising concerns.

The test from C2N Diagnostics of St. Louis determines if patients have a buildup of a protein called beta-amyloid in the brain, evidence that is key to a dementia diagnosis.

Currently, the best way to measure that is a costly PET brain scan that most patients avoid because it is not usually covered by insurance, leaving many doctors and patients with unanswered questions about the cause of memory loss symptoms.

Independent experts remain skeptical about the new blood examination because key test results have not been published, and the test has not yet been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration — giving rise to questions about its accuracy and the impact of a potentially false life-changing result.

Despite concerns, doctors agree that a simple test in a doctors office is long overdue.

Tammy Maida, 63, told the Associated Press such a test could have saved her a decade’s-worth of trips to doctors who chalked up her symptoms to depression, anxiety or menopause before a $5,000 brain scan last year finally showed she had Alzheimer’s.

“I now have an answer,” said the former California nurse.

The new test is intended for people 60 and older who suffer from thinking problems and are being evaluated for Alzheimer’s. It’s not covered by insurance or Medicare, and costs $1,250 with discounts on a sliding scale for low-income patients. Results are available within 10 days from a doctor.

C2N Diagnostics is seeking FDA approval and is defending its choice to begin selling the tests before results of the government review can be published.

“Should we be holding that technology back when it could have a big impact on patient care?” the company’s chief executive Dr. Joel Braunstein asked.

Company promotional materials cite results that the test can correctly identify brain amyloid plaque status with an 86 percent accuracy rate comparing to PET brain scans.

It’s estimated that 44 million people around the world suffer from Alzheimer’s or a related form of dementia.

With AP wires