Alzheimer’s Disease

In the United States, over 6.9 million people live with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and the number of cases is expected to rise to 13 million by 2050. In fact, one in nine Americans over 65 have Alzheimer’s dementia, the most common form of dementia. In total, the disease has an estimated economic cost on the U.S. economy of $360B.²

After decades waiting for impactful treatments, there’s finally hope. With recent healthcare advancements, having an accurate, confirmed diagnosis early in the disease will enable those affected by AD to take advantage of new therapies and also to make necessary changes to their lifestyle to help delay onset of dementia and/or disease progression. As a result, an accurate, confirmed diagnosis is more important than ever.

Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers support early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s 

Timely diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is an unmet need in clinical practice. The diagnosis of Alzheimer’s is often one of exclusion, determined by ruling out non-AD causes of symptoms through several evaluations such as cognitive exams, laboratory tests and neuroimaging. Unfortunately, this process not only could delay the formal diagnosis, but it was shown that clinical diagnosis can be inaccurate in approximately 23% of cases.^2,3 The use of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers could positively impact clinical diagnosis for Alzheimer’s disease. 

In addition to other clinical investigations, an early Alzheimer’s diagnosis can be supported by CSF biomarker tests that measure beta-amyloid protein (1-42) (Abeta42), phosphorylated tau protein (pTau) and total Tau protein (tTau). Changes in these biomarkers reflect the specific Alzheimer’s pathologies such as the accumulation of abnormal amyloid-beta and tau in plaques, in neurofibrillary tangles, which are followed by neurodegeneration. 

Our FDA-cleared Elecsys® Alzheimer’s disease  CSF biomarker portfolio can aid in the confirmed diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease for those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild Alzheimer’s disease dementia, and can support treatment decisions for patients presenting in these early disease stages. Learn more.

Early diagnosis can benefit patients and society 

An early Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis can lead to patient eligibility for new therapies targeted at early stages of the disease. In addition, it allows patients time to take preventative measures to safeguard their cognitive functions, prolong their ability to live independently and enhance their quality of life. By facilitating access to treatment and management of the disease in early stages, a timely diagnosis could potentially significantly lower the medical and long-term care costs for this disease.² Learn more.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive disease, and when patients advance into dementia stages, they need increased assistance from family or caregivers to understand and communicate; perform daily living activities; and manage other health conditions, finances and legal affairs, etc.²

Early diagnosis is key, as access to new therapies and lifestyle interventions can slow down cognitive decline and delay the progression if implemented in early disease stages.³ It also allows patients and their families to plan for the future. It is estimated that each day nearly 2,000 patients ages 65 and older may progress from mild to moderate dementia,⁴ meaning time is of the essence.

Alzheimer’s disease begins to form around 20 years before memory loss or other symptoms develop. However, many people with Alzheimer's are not aware they have it or have not been properly diagnosed. According to the Alzheimer's Association, 85% of people would want to know early if they had the disease.¹ 

An early and accurate diagnosis is crucial for patients, caregivers and physicians, as it can provide clarity and new treatment options.^1,2

Clinical trials and other studies showed that up to 30% of individuals who meet the criteria for clinical Alzheimer’s dementia based on symptoms did not have Alzheimer’s-related brain changes.¹ By utilizing biomarkers to support Alzheimer’s diagnosis, especially in early disease stages, the accuracy of clinical diagnosis is expected to increase significantly.³ The need for a more precise diagnosis is now.