For decades, diagnosing Alzheimer's disease with certainty required either a spinal tap or a PET scan — procedures that are invasive, expensive, and often unavailable outside of major medical centers. That has changed.
The FDA approved the first blood-based test for Alzheimer's-linked brain changes in May 2025. A second test was cleared for use in primary care settings in October 2025. Taken together, these tests offer the possibility of earlier, more accessible, and far less costly identification of the amyloid plaques that are the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.
