• Posted April 17, 2026

Most People Would Take A Blood Test For Alzheimer's, Study Says

Most people would want to take a blood test that can assess their risk of Alzheimer’s disease, rather than remain anxious about their odds, a new study says.

About 85% of primary care patients said they’d take a blood test that looks for the toxic proteins linked to Alzheimer’s, according to a report published April 15 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.

These patients said they were interested even though nearly 3 out of 4 (73%) said they expect a positive test would cause them emotional distress.

That’s because anxiety over Alzheimer’s can be overwhelming, lead researcher Andrea Russell, a psychologist at Northwestern University in Chicago, said in a news release.

Russell treats people with early cognitive impairment, and sees how a missed word or a forgotten appointment can spark dread over Alzheimer’s.

“I see patients whose lives start to get smaller,” Russell said. “Some are afraid to leave the house because they worry they’ll forget something or get lost. Others don’t want to know what’s happening because there is so much doom and gloom around Alzheimer’s. For many people, it feels like the new cancer diagnosis.”

Alzheimer’s affects an estimated 7.2 million older adults in the U.S., and that number is projected to double by 2060, researchers said in background notes.

A couple of Alzheimer’s blood tests have received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for people 55 and older with symptoms of the degenerative brain disease, researchers said in background notes.

The tests look for levels of amyloid and tau proteins in a person’s bloodstream. Those proteins are known to form plaques and tangles in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s.

Word hasn’t gotten around about them yet. Results found that about 84% of patients were unaware such tests existed.

“These tests aren’t ready for widespread use, but they soon could be,” Russell said. “As researchers, we strive for care that centers on the needs of the patient first, so it’s important for us to know what they think about those tests.”

To assess how ready people are for these tests, researchers surveyed nearly 600 primary care patients participating in three ongoing Chicago-area studies. All were 21 or older with at least one chronic health problem.

In the survey, participants were given brief education on the tests. They were informed that the tests identify higher risk, but do not provide a definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.

Results showed that:

• 94% said it was important to offer the tests to patients with memory or thinking problems.

• 85% said they would agree to testing if recommended by their clinician.

• 60% said it was “very important” to offer yearly testing to adults 65 and older, even though such screening is not currently recommended.

“Patients and families are often dissatisfied with delays in receiving diagnoses for cognitive problems and feeling unsure what to do,” Russell said. “They don’t know whether their perceived cognitive impairment is an unrelated health issue, normal aging or dementia not diagnosed yet.” 

People said they wouldn’t take positive results lying down. Nearly 9 in 10 (87%) said they’re prepared to take the steps necessary to protect their brain health.

“What’s healthy for the brain is healthy for the body,” Russell said. “If people learn they may be at higher risk, they may want to take action, such as managing chronic conditions, improving nutrition and staying engaged with their medical care. Those steps could help them prolong independence and well-being.”

The top barriers to getting the test were cost (49%); concerns about test reliability (35%); fear of a positive result (22%); and concern about being treated differently after a positive result (24%).

More information

Harvard Medical School has more about Alzheimer’s blood tests.

SOURCE: Northwestern University, news release, April 15, 2026