There's Finally a Blood Test for Alzheimer's. Should You Get It?

For decades, getting a real answer about Alzheimer's meant a spinal tap, a PET scan, or waiting until the symptoms were obvious. As of 2025 there's a fourth option: a single blood draw. The FDA cleared the first one in May, and by August you could order it from a national lab. In this video we break down what the test actually measures, who it's really for (and who it's not), the caveats nobody mentions, and the one question it can't touch - how your brain is actually functioning right now. 🧠 KEY TAKEAWAYS: • The FDA cleared the first blood test for Alzheimer's: the Lumipulse G pTau217/β-Amyloid 1-42 Plasma Ratio (Fujirebio) on May 16, 2025. It's a diagnostic aid, not a screening test. • It's intended for adults 55+ who already have signs or symptoms of cognitive decline, evaluated in a clinical setting, NOT for healthy, asymptomatic people who feel fine and want to peek around the corner. • p-tau217 is the standout blood biomarker. The test's ratio agrees with amyloid PET about 92% of the time for positives and about 97% for negatives. • A positive result means amyloid is present - it does NOT by itself mean you have Alzheimer's. Amyloid shows up in cognitively normal people too, and kidney function can shift the number. • The blood test measures pathology: is excess amyloid there? A QEEG brain map measures function - how is your brain actually working? Those are different questions, and function is the trainable one. KEY RESEARCH CITED: • U.S. FDA (May 16, 2025). First blood test cleared to aid Alzheimer's diagnosis: Lumipulse G pTau217/β-Amyloid 1-42 Plasma Ratio (Fujirebio Diagnostics). In vitro diagnostic, 510(k), Breakthrough Device. Validation: multicenter study of 499 plasma samples from cognitively impaired adults vs amyloid PET/CSF with 91.7% positive percent agreement, 97.3% negative percent agreement, under 20% indeterminate. • Palmqvist et al., Nature Medicine (2025)" SEPARATE multicenter study of 1,767 participants with cognitive symptoms on a fully automated plasma p-tau217 platform; ~85% accuracy in primary care. DOI 10.1038/s41591-025-03622-w (PMID 40205199). • Ashton et al., JAMA Neurology (2024): plasma p-tau217 immunoassay establishes p-tau217 as the standout blood biomarker for Alzheimer's pathology. DOI 10.1001/jamaneurol.2023.5319. • Labcorp (Aug 18, 2025): nationwide launch of the FDA-cleared plasma p-tau217/β-amyloid 1-42 ratio test. • U.S. FDA (Aug 2025): subcutaneous lecanemab autoinjector (Leqembi IQLIK) approved for at-home maintenance dosing; lecanemab (Leqembi) and donanemab (Kisunla) approved for MCI/mild AD. RESOURCES: 📞 Book a free consultation: https://calendly.com/drhill1 🧠 Peak Brain Institute: https://peakbraininstitute.com 🗺️ QEEG Brain Mapping: https://peakbraininstitute.com/brain-mapping 📖 Dr. Hill's books: https://www.peakbrainpress.com #Alzheimers #BloodTest #pTau217 #BrainHealth #QEEG #DrAndrewHill #NeurofeedbackAndChill #Neuroscience #Neurofeedback #Dementia #BrainMapping #Amyloid #BrainAwarenessMonth