Blood test could offer less invasive way to aid Alzheimer’s diagnosis

(Aging Untold) — A familiar bike ride with her husband became frightening for Kathi Rigby when she suddenly struggled to communicate. “I couldn’t get words from my brain to my mouth,” she said. Rigby was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2022. The news, she said, “was like a slap in the face.” How the blood test works Brain scans or tests of spinal fluid are often required to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, but a blood test to detect amyloid plaque in the brain, a key marker of the disease, could offer a less invasive way. In May 2025, the Food and Drug Administration cleared the Lumipulse, the first blood test cleared by the agency to aid in diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease. “It’s a game changer. It’s indicated for people who are 55 years of age or greater with symptoms of cognitive decline,” Dr. Rhea Rogers, a board-certified physician and Aging Untold host, said. Researchers suggest that if a patient tests positive, there is a greater than 90% chance that they have amyloid plaque in