Researchers warn social media driving harmful misuse of Alzheimer’s blood tests
Exclusive: Alzheimer’s blood tests should not be used on their own and risk leading people to believe they are inevitably going to develop dementia
TL;DR
- Social media is promoting Alzheimer's blood biomarker tests (e.g., p-tau217, p-tau181) to healthy individuals.
- These tests detect biological signs associated with Alzheimer's but may not lead to dementia in asymptomatic people.
- Neurological bodies and experts advise against using these tests for screening healthy individuals.
- Promotional posts, especially from accounts with financial interests, often fail to highlight test limitations and potential harms.
- Potential harms include unnecessary diagnosis, psychological burden, unclear treatment pathways for healthy positives, and implications for insurance.
- Tests should only be ordered by doctors in specific circumstances with a high pre-test probability of early Alzheimer's.
- Misleading results, whether positive or negative, can lead to incorrect beliefs about dementia risk and the importance of addressing modifiable risk factors.
- Online costs for these tests can be significantly higher than when ordered through a doctor in Australia.