Should You Be Checking the New Blood Test For Alzheimer’s?
6 things to know about pTau-217
Hello, everyone. I am at the Jackson Hole Airport about to take off for the Brain Health Retreat in Costa Rica. Just like everyone else, I am glued to the news footage of the wildfires in LA. Here’s hoping all of you and your loved ones are safe. I just donated to the LA Food Bank (here’s the link). The Sunday Paper (Maria Shriver’s outlet that is headquartered in LA) is providing links to other local organizations for anyone able to give.
On page 28 of my book, you’ll find this passage under the heading “The Future.” I wrote it in the summer of 2022, just as my manuscript was going to print:
Imagine a day when your physician offers you a screening test for Alzheimer’s at your annual exam. Detecting sticky proteins that accumulate and damage the brain will be as easy as checking your cholesterol. The test alerts you and your doctor that these are building up in your brain faster than your body can clear them, even though you have no symptoms of dementia or memory loss at all.
Well, friends, the future is now. Today we are talking about the new blood test for Alzheimer’s called phosphorylated Tau-217 (pTau-217). I’ll go into what pTau-217 is, why it’s important, and whether or not you should be considering getting this test. Read on for the 6 takeaways you need to know.