The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the sale of the first blood-based diagnostic device for Alzheimer’s disease. The test, developed by Fujirebio Diagnostics, measures the ratio of two proteins in the blood. This ratio correlates with the amount of amyloid plaques in the brain, which damage brain cells and cause memory loss. Previously, β-amyloid plaques, the building blocks of Alzheimer’s disease, could only be detected through brain scans or cerebrospinal fluid analysis.
