A groundbreaking trial exploring the potential of blood tests to diagnose dementia is now underway in London, marking a significant step toward improving the UK’s dementia diagnosis rate.
This initiative, led by the READ-OUT research team at Dementias Platform UK (DPUK), seeks to address gaps in diagnosis and enhance early detection of dementia, ultimately improving outcomes for people living with the condition.
The trial site, located within St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in southwest London, is part of the Blood Biomarker Challenge – a multi-million-pound programme led by Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK, supported with funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. It aims to explore whether a panel of blood tests can complement existing diagnostic pathways in NHS memory clinics, helping clinicians provide faster and more accurate diagnoses for people living with dementia.
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.
The first participants joined the study in Oxford in January 2025, marking the start of a nationwide drive to recruit over 3,100 participants from 28 DPUK sites across the UK. These sites, located in NHS memory clinics and community buses, aim to recruit participants from a diverse range of communities, ensuring the research is inclusive and reflects the wider population.
Dr Wei Jia Zhang, Consultant Neurologist at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We’re in an incredibly exciting time for dementia research right now, with new drugs that can slow early Alzheimer’s disease. Although these are not yet approved for use in the NHS, we urgently need to revolutionise the way we diagnose people in this country – it will be nothing short of disastrous if people are unable to get a diagnosis early enough to benefit from the new drugs, once they do become available. In addition, many people now want and need the more accurate diagnosis blood biomarkers could provide.
“Blood biomarker tests could be the answer to this problem and the good news is that the technology already exists. What we’re missing is the proof that they really do work in a real-world setting. Our team will be looking at a range of blood tests and we are actively recruiting participants in London from a broad range of people including those from minority ethnic groups, the very elderly and people with other medical conditions. This will show us how the blood tests perform in different UK populations.”
This research will provide vital evidence needed to integrate blood tests into routine clinical practice in the NHS, ultimately improving diagnosis speed and accuracy, and ensuring that more people in London, and across the UK, receive timely treatments and support.
Laura Chow, head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “We are thrilled to see the groundbreaking blood test trial for dementia diagnosis now underway in London. This marks a pivotal moment in the fight against dementia and highlights the immense value of funding raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. Early diagnosis is crucial in improving outcomes for individuals living with dementia, and I am delighted that our players are supporting a project that has the potential to transform how the condition is detected and managed. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this innovative work could have across the UK.”
For anyone concerned about dementia symptoms, please contact your GP or visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/dementia.
