Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease is dependent on the early diagnosis of the disease. Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease will not reverse it, however the earlier it is diagnosed it will remain stationary.
A key factor will be the early detection of Alzheimer's Disease, possibly with blood testing. Early clinical trials are now in process.
The main blood test currently used for detecting Alzheimer's disease is the Lumipulse G pTau217/ß-Amyloid 1-42 Plasma Ratio, which is FDA-approved and designed to aid in the early detection of amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer's in adults showing signs of cognitive decline. This test measures two proteins (phosphorylated tau pTau217 and beta-amyloid 1-42) in human plasma and calculates their ratio, which is linked to plaque presence in the brain—a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.
Key Details
The Lumipulse blood test requires a standard blood draw and examines plasma for a specific protein ratio.
Another similar blood test, the PrecivityAD2, measures not just the ratio of amyloid beta proteins but also the level of p-tau217, achieving diagnostic accuracy between 88% and 92% in studies.
Recently, new tests have also become available, like Elecsys pTau181 and others, which detect different phosphorylated tau proteins in blood.
Clinical Role
These blood tests are major advancements as they are less invasive than cerebrospinal fluid analysis and brain PET scans, which are traditionally used for Alzheimer's diagnosis.
The tests are recommended for people already exhibiting cognitive symptoms, as an aid alongside neurological exams, imaging, and cognitive assessments.
Blood tests for Alzheimer's are most accurate when combined with other diagnostic procedures and are not stand-alone definitive diagnostics yet.
The global incidence of Alzheimer's disease has continued to rise over the past decade, with an estimated 9.8 million new cases reported globally in 2021, up from approximately 7.2 million cases in 2019. In the United States, the annual number of new Alzheimer's cases has reached about 900,000 people aged 65 or older, with prevalence increasing from 6.7 million affected seniors in 2021 to 7.2 million in 2025.
Global Trends
Worldwide, the incidence and prevalence of Alzheimer's and other dementias increased by nearly 150% between 1990 and 2019, with the case count nearly doubling every 20 years.
The annual global estimate for new dementia cases, mostly due to Alzheimer's, is close to 10 million, with projections indicating rapid continued growth as populations age.
United States Incidence
Each year, approximately 900,000 people aged 65 and older develop Alzheimer's.
In 2025, 7.2 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with the disease, up from 6.7 million in 2021, and the country expects cases to reach nearly 13 million by 2050.
The chance of developing Alzheimer's after age 65 is about 1 in 9, and the lifetime risk is around 1 in 5 for women and 1 in 10 for men.
Changes Over the Past Decade
From 2015 to 2019, some places (like China) saw a slight decline in Alzheimer's incidence, but this was followed by a sharp uptick after 2019, influenced by factors such as aging populations and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on vulnerable individuals.
In Europe and North America, some studies have observed a modest decline (about 13% per decade) in dementia incidence rates, potentially due to public health improvements, though absolute case numbers continue to rise with the aging population.
COVID-19 contributed to an approximately 10.5% temporary increase in Alzheimer's and dementia deaths in 2020, with elevated risks persisting into 2021.
Alzheimer's disease is a public health challenge, not only with a decrease in quality of life, a burden on family support, and an increase in medical spending as Boomer's age. The treatment of other causes of death (heart disease, cancer) means people live to be older. As medical resources become relatively less it wouod be beneficial to diagnose and treat early Alzheimer's
PHYSICIANS MUST BE EDUCATED TO PERFORM THESE TEST WHEN A PATIENT EXHIBITS COGNITIVE DECLINE, NO MATTER WHAT AGE.
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