Early and accurate diagnosis is the cornerstone of effective, person-centred care – and nowhere is this more important than in dementia. Spotting the signs early and getting a diagnosis can change lives. It gives people and their families the time to plan for the future, access the right support, and benefit from new and emerging treatments.

Blood tests are a promising new tool that could transform how dementia is diagnosed in the UK. These tests could help tackle some of the biggest challenges in the current diagnosis pathway – making it quicker, more accurate and giving clinicians more confidence in their assessments.

That’s why the Blood Biomarker Challenge, supported by Alzheimer’s Society, Alzheimer’s Research UK, the National Institute for Health and Care Research, Gates Ventures and players of People’s Postcode Lottery, is exploring the potential use of blood tests in clinical settings. As part of this work, Alzheimer’s Research UK and Alzheimer’s Society commissioned research to better understand what healthcare professionals and local decision makers think about using blood tests to support Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

Person having blood pressure checked

Blood-Based Biomarkers: Clinical Perspectives

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Here’s what we found:

  • Healthcare professionals recognise the value of blood tests and believe they could help provide a faster, clearer diagnosis.
  • In the early stages, these tests would likely be introduced in memory clinics and hospitals. But as they develop and services adapt, they could be used more widely - in local GP surgeries, community diagnostic centres and other settings.

Our aim is simple: to make dementia diagnosis earlier, more accurate, and more cost-effective. And we know we can’t do that alone. That’s why we’re working with partners across research, care and the NHS to support innovation and improve services.

This research gives us important insights that will shape how we move forward, helping guide national and local conversations on what comes next.

What needs to happen now:

  • Scale up diagnostic capacity
    To make dementia diagnosis fit for the future, the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan must go hand-in-hand with investment in staffing, skills and infrastructure, and a drive to bring innovations like blood tests into routine care.
  • Plan locally for implementation
    Local NHS systems need clear strategies for how to introduce blood tests, including how they’ll be integrated into current diagnostic and treatment pathways.