Landmark study to evaluate Alzheimer’s blood tests in GP practices

A landmark study in Scotland is evaluating whether blood tests could help GPs identify Alzheimer’s disease earlier and improve access to diagnosis, care and treatment.

The Bringing Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarkers to General Practice (BriDGe) study is being led by Scottish Brain Sciences and will involve more than 50 GP practices across central and northern Scotland. Up to 500 patients who are suspected of having Alzheimer’s disease will be referred for blood testing as part of the research.

The study will assess two blood tests, p-tau181 and p-tau217, developed by Roche Diagnostics. These tests measure biomarkers associated with Alzheimer’s disease and will be evaluated to determine how they perform in routine primary care.

Researchers will examine whether the tests can help GPs make more informed decisions about referrals and diagnosis, while enabling patients to access appropriate support and treatment at an earlier stage. The study will also assess how the tests perform alongside existing assessment pathways used in primary care.

The BriDGe project is expected to become the largest UK study to evaluate Alzheimer’s blood tests in general practice. The findings will help determine whether this type of testing could play a future role in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease within primary care.

The blood tests are currently being evaluated as part of a research study and are not being introduced as a routine NHS diagnostic test at this stage.

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