UK-wide study into dementia blood tests recruits first participants

A major new study aimed at identifying blood tests that could help diagnose dementia more accurately and quickly than current methods has got underway this month.

The Real Word Dementia Outcomes (READ-OUT) study will investigate blood tests that have shown promise in research studies but aren’t used routinely in dementia diagnosis. It will test how accurate and reliable these blood tests are for different groups of people, giving the researchers an idea of how the blood tests perform in the ‘real world’.

Led by Prof Vanessa Raymont, the research team at Dementias Platform UK (DPUK) are based at the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge. Alongside the ADAPT trial, READ-OUT is part of the Blood Biomarker Challenge – a multi-million-pound programme supported by Alzheimer’s Society, Alzheimer’s Research UK, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Gates Ventures and players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

The first volunteers for READ-OUT have now been recruited from the Warneford Hospital in Oxford. Ultimately the study team aims to enrol over 3,000 people from 28 NHS memory clinics and community buses across the UK.

How will READ-OUT work?

The team will assess multiple new and existing blood tests, looking at a range of dementia types including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies. The researchers will also look at whether the blood tests can help detect these diseases at various stages and if the results need to be interpreted differently in people from different ethnic backgrounds or with other health conditions such as kidney disease.

Why we need to revolutionise dementia diagnosis

Dr Sheona Scales, Director of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, highlights why READ-OUT is such an important step towards revolutionising dementia diagnosis:

“Having a formal diagnosis of dementia is vital so people can access personalised care and support, put future plans in place, and it opens up opportunities to take part in medical research and clinical trials. Getting an early and accurate diagnosis will also be crucial if people are to access new, first-of-a-kind treatments that are on the horizon.”

“Sadly, at the moment, around one in three people with dementia never receive a formal diagnosis. And the way dementia is diagnosed has barely changed for nearly two decades and requires an urgent rehaul.”

“Blood tests have been showing huge promise and have the potential to move the dial on diagnosis, giving people the answers they desperately need.”

Sophie Evans lost her dad, Vincent, to mixed dementia in 2021. If he had an earlier diagnosis, Sophie thinks that this would have helped the family manage Vincent’s condition better.

“Our family couldn’t live a functional life because the long journey to a diagnosis and getting the support my dad needed was so difficult.

“Dad started showing symptoms when I was around 15 and he was 60. He’d rewatch programmes over and over, forget to turn the taps off and couldn’t remember why he came into a room.

“We tried to get him to see the doctor, but he didn’t want to go. He said it was stress and that he was fine. His hearing started to decline so he blamed things on his poor hearing. Sometimes I’d find him sat crying, or just standing in a room not knowing what he was doing.

“Eventually he was convinced to go to the GP. Then he went for various tests, but it took a long time before he was diagnosed with vascular dementia.

“When he got the diagnosis, he didn’t believe it. If he’d had an earlier diagnosis, I’m certain things would have been easier for us all. He went on to develop Alzheimer’s disease and sadly went downhill very quickly.

“I want to encourage someone who perhaps doesn’t want to get checked out to seek advice from their GP. For people who may be struggling accepting their symptoms, a blood test would be helpful in allowing people to come to terms with a diagnosis – you can’t argue with a blood test.

“I would move the earth and beyond to stop just one person going through what we went through. Dementia diagnosis needs to be more of an open topic. It’s so important to get an early diagnosis so people can manage the condition sooner.

“A blood test to help the diagnosis process would equip people with an early opportunity to get support, and possibly consider taking part in dementia research. Because research is what will get us closer to a cure.”

It’s not too late to change the ending

Findings from studies like this will help to change the ending for so many affected by dementia.The Blood Biomarker Challenge relies on incredible volunteers, who are willing to contribute to these valuable studies. If you want to know more or take part in READ-OUT, please visit Dementias Platform UK.

You can also sign up to Join Dementia Research, and help drive new discoveries to help so many families affected by dementia.

For more information about dementia, including signs, symptoms and getting a diagnosis, please contact the Dementia Research Infoline on 0300 111 5 111 infoline@alzheimersresearchuk.org.